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BLESSED ALPHONSUS OKOZcb, O.S.A. 


Vain is that happiness not arising from a pure heart : false that contentment 
not resulting from a good conscience. — Blessed Alphonsus Orozco, O.S.A. 



LIFE OF BLESSED 


ALPHOISUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 


COMPILED FROM THE SPANISH OF 

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RT.REV.^HOS^AMARA^D^O.S.A., 

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BISHOP OF SALAMANCA, 


BY 


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REV. w: A. JONES, O. S. A. 


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1895 

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PHILADELPHIA: 

H. L. Kilneb & Co., Publishers. 

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jgy+70 5- 

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The Library 
of Congress 

WASHINGTON 


fUbfl ©bstat, 


J. F. Loughlin, S. T. D., 

Censor Librorum. 


Imprimatur, 


* Patkitius Joannes, 
Archiepiscopns Philadelphiensis. 


IPermtesu Superforum, 


C. M. Driscoll, O. S. A., 

Provincialis. 


Philadelphia, May 15, 1895. 


Copyright, 1895, by II. L. Kilner & Co. 




PREFACE. 


Eighteen years have now elapsed since Pius 
IX. of happy memory accorded the honor of our 
altars to the remains of Father Alphonsus Orozco, 
O. S. A. The present gloriously reigning Pontiff 
after careful examination of the heroic virtues, 
which distinguished the life of this holy Augus- 
tinian, ratified in January, 1882, the judgment of 
his predecessor by raising the venerable servant 
of God to the rank of Blessed. Thus has the au- 
thoritative voice of the Church, with renewed em- 
phasis, declared still fragrant that flower of sanc- 
tity, which, being nurtured three centuries ago in 
the sanctury, budded and blossomed in the seclu- 
sion of the cloister, and diffused its sweet odor 
throughout the Court of Philip II. of Spain. 

Apart from the saintly personage whose eventful 
life is sketched in these succeeding pages, the age in 
which Alphonsus flourished, and the circumstances 
under which he won the crown of sanctity link his 
name with events memorable in history and highly 
interesting to Christian readers. The political and 
religious struggles, of which Spain was the theatre 

( 3 ) 


4 


PREFACE. 


in the sixteenth century, did much to shape the 
career of Father Orozco, and the untiring efforts 
of this noble priest for the betterment of his sur- 
roundings, reveal him in the light of a true reformer 
and apostle of his day. 

Perhaps the plain, honest recital of the virtues, 
which embellished his life, and a faithful portrayal 
of the principles for which he manfully contended, 
may serve also as an effective argument, to over- 
throw the mountainous calumnies, that have been 
heaped upon the faith, to which Spain remained 
loyal in the days of her greatness. We cannot but 
deplore the disposition of the past to represent the 
Catholic religion, obtaining in that age and king- 
dom, as the embodiment of cruelty, ignorance and 
intolerance, perpetuating her national life through 
the agency of rack and torture. Such statements 
however frequently repeated are as unwarranted 
in point of fact as would be the folly of ascribing 
the mother’s source of existence to the action of 
an unnatural progeny seeking to feed upon her vi- 
tals. Yet men of honest intent have at times been 
so trammeled by prejudice, and so biased in their 
judgment that they have condemned, without re- 
serve, the tree whose perennial fruits are grace and 
truth, because vultures were found hovering at 
times beneath its branches. 


PREFACE. 


5 


Happily, however, there is now, a growing dis- 
position to review this crucial age of religious con- 
troversy with less acrimony. The oft-repeated ar- 
guments of recrimination so popular in former days 
have yielded place to a milder, and more Christian 
mode of warfare, just as retaliation in practice was 
succeeded by a holy emulation in works of mercy 
and generosity. There is now manifest, on all sides, 
a praiseworthy desire to reach the truth, regardless 
of prearranged conclusions. Foreshadowing the 
reign of the Prince of Peace on earth, the most ar- 
dent defenders of the faith that is within them, no 
longer recur to that method of reasoning which 
the impulsive Peter used against Malchus, but have 
adopted, with better effect, that forbearance, so 
beautifully exemplified by the pro-martyr, St. Ste- 
phen. Charity’s benign influence ha^dawned a 
new light upon the pages of the Church’s history, 
and its cheery rays have revealed her glory to mis- 
guided foes in a new and better light. 

Perhaps this little volume may in its own way 
further the cause of truth, and aid in showing the 
true secret, by which the Church maintained her 
dominant power in Spain during those days of po- 
litical and religious upheavals. It is our aim to 
depict the gentle Father Orozco, resplendent in the 
light of his labors, believing that the story of his 


6 


PREFACE. 


zeal and self-sacrifice in the cause of humanity will 
be the noblest vindication of that much-maligned 
religion, of which he was the fearless champion. 
When we behold the humble, austere Friar, hon- 
ored by princes, and repeatedly chosen by the pop- 
ular suffrage of his brethren to be their ruler, 
the example of his life becomes accentuated ; for 
he stands forth not as a sign to be contradicted, 
but as the exponent of those virtues, which were 
respected and venerated by the Church in the days 
even of Philip II. 


Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1895. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER I. 

Family and Birth of Blessed Father Orozco 11 

CHAPTER II. 

The Childhood of Alphonsus Orozco. (1506-1513.) 20 

CHAPTER III. 

Young Alphonsus is entered among the students of the far- 
famed University of Salamanca. (1514-1522.) 27 

CHAPTER IY. 

Alphonsus embraces the Religious State. (1522.) 33 

CHAPTER Y. 

The Convent of the Augustinians in Salamanca — Its Supe- 
riors during the Novitiate of young Alphonsus 39 

CHAPTER YI. 

The Novitiate of Alphonsus — His Trials and Temptations. 
(1522.) 46 

CHAPTER YII. 

Alphonsus’ religious profession and preparation for ordina- 
tion — Death of his brother Francis. (1523.) 52 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Alphonsus elevated to the priesthood — His reverence for 
its sacred duties 63 

CHAPTER IX. 

Temptations and scruples that tormented Blessed Alphon- 
sus. (1522-1551.) 74 


7 


8 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER X. 

Alphonsus is assigned by bis superiors to the office of 
preacher 82 


CHAPTER XI. 

Blessed Father Orozco, O. S. A., removed to the Convent 
of our Lady of Grace — His illness — Ou recovery is ap- 
pointed Prior in the city of Soria-— His return to our 


Lady of Grace, as Superior. (1530-1537.) 90 

CHAPTER XII. 

Blessed Alphonsus in the exercise of Authority 96 

CHAPTER XIII. 


Blessed Alphonsus is successively assigned to convents in 
Seville and Granada — His disdain for the reputed reve- 
lations made by an inposter — Apparition of the Blessed 
Virgin who urges him to write. (1542-1546.) 104 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Blessed Alphonsus sets sail for the missions of Mexico — 

His journey is interrupted by an illness which obliges 


him to return to Spain. (1548-1549.) 110 

CHAPTER XV. 

Blessed Orozco miraculously delivered from his spiritual 
disturbance — His return to Seville. (1549-1554.) 118 

CHAPTER XVI. 


Blessed Alphonsus receives from Charles V. the title of 
Preacher Royal — His relation with affairs of his Order — 

His apostolic labors at the Court of Spain. (1554-1560.), 125 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Blessed Alphonsus accompanies the Court to Madrid — His 
residence and habits of life at the Convent of St. Philip. 
(1560.) 136 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

Blessed Father Orozco in his dealings with the poor and 
the sick — His sympathy for the sufferings of humanity, 150 


CONTENTS. 


9 


CHAPTER XIX. 

The sanctity of Father Orozco revealed in his manner of 
preaching the word of God 160 

CHAPTER XX. 

The labors of Blessed Alplionsus Orozco viewed in their 
results upon his age and country 169 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Father Orozco publishes a treatise on the institutions of 
royalty — Its dedication to Philip II. — A glance at the 
saints of Spain contemporary with Blessed Alphousus... 179 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Prodigies wrought through the intercession of Blessed 
Alphonsus — Foundation of the Convent of Augustiuian 
Nuns at Talavera 190 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

The zeal of the Preacher Royal for the salvation of the 
nobles — His mission at the Court of Philip II 202 

CHAPTER XXIY. 

The tender affection that Father Orozco retained for his 
Order, and his love for its institutions 214 


CHAPTER XXV. 

Tiring of the Court and its honors, and wishing to pass 
his final days in peace, Blessed Father Orozco plans his 
withdrawal from public life and resolves to seek retire- 


ment in a convent at Risco. (1576-1578.) 223 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Father Orozco is consoled by the Queen of Heaven — His 
affectionate devotion to Our Blessed Lady 233 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

The remarkable energy with which Father Orozco per- 


formed his apostolic duties at the advanced age of 
eighty years — His literary career terminates with the 
production of his confessions. (1580-1590.) 242 


10 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Blessed Alphonsus sees in vision the sad fate which befell 
the invincible Armada — Other instances of his marvel- 
ous gifts of penetration. (1588.) 253 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Final years of Blessed Alphonsus — His foundation of the 
College of the Incarnation — The remarkable favors 
which God bestowed upon this venerable priest, while 
residing in this new home. (1590-1591.) 2f>2 

CHAPTER XXX. 

On the death of Blessed Orozco. (1591.) 275 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Funeral of Father Orozco — Interment of his remains — 
Remarkable evidences of his Holiness. (1591.) 284 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

History of the cause of Beatification of Father Orozco. 
(1626-1882.) 291 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Decree issued by his Holiness Leo XIII., to commemorate 
the Beatification of Blessed Alphonsus Orozco, O. S. A.. 301 

Appendix A 316 

Appendix B. 319 


LIFE OF BLESSED 

ALPHONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 


CHAPTER I. 

FAMILY AND BIRTH OF BLESSED ALPHONSUS 
OROZCO. 

At the beginning of the eleventh century, when 
better days seemed to have dawned upon Spain, 
Don Sancho Lopez, fourth Lord of Biscay, died, 
leaving Inigo and Garcia, two sons of tender 
years. The nobility of the province, with ex- 
treme caution and diligence, conferred among 
themselves before selecting a ruler to succeed their 
dead chieftain. During the preceding three cen- 
turies of continual warfare, Biscay, cradled in the 
mountain fastness of northern Spain, had main- 
tained her independence against powerful odds. 
With resolute spirit she drove the Moorish in- 
vaders beyond her confines, and at the same time, 
preserved her territory intact from the greed of 
neighboring princes. Now, finding themselves 

( 11 ) 


12 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


still menaced by dangers as imminent, which 
threatened their national existence, the people 
were loath to declare in favor of the two orphans, 
who were yet under tutorship. Nor were they 
content with naming a regent, who, possessing 
no hereditary claim to the crown, might be un- 
equal to the ardors of war, or, overestimating his 
own importance, refuse to surrender at the proper 
time the authority confided in him. Accordingly, 
a brother of the deceased Don Saneho was de- 
clared Lord of the Province ; while the two 
orphans, despite their just claims, were removed 
from their parents’ home and received small ad- 
joining territories within the limits of Biscay as 
their respective possessions. 

To Inigo, the younger brother, was given a 
small valley, about seven miles in length and two 
in width, surrounded by high mountains and 
covered with forests. This small tract, according 
to various authors, he governed with entire inde- 
pendence, his own name becoming the first in a 
series of Lords of Orozco. The succession con- 
tinued in direct line for six generations, when, in 
failure of issue, the entire district reverted to the 
Province of Biscay to which it had originally be- 
longed. 

The house of Orozco, however, was continued 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 13 

through the family of the elder brother, Garcia, 
by whose prestige it eventually attained a fore- 
most place among the nobility of the Province. 
In the middle of the fourteenth century its 
name was greatly extolled through the heroic 
service which one of its knights rendered King 
Alphonsus XI. And when Peter the Cruel pur- 
sued his brother, who had taken refuge in the 
strongholds of Biscay, he met with formidable re- 
sistance from the palace and the castle of the 
Orozco family. 

Later, when the Spanish powers combined their 
forces against the Mahometans of Andalusia, and 
more particularly during the conquest of the king- 
dom of Granada, the illustrious family of Orozco 
sent many a brave cavalier to the encounter. 
During this long and eventful conflict between 
the followers of the Cross and the Crescent the 
house of Orozco was distinguisted for loyalty to 
faith and fatherland. Hernando, a scion of this 
noble house, resided in Oropesa where he exer- 
cised both the civil and military magistracy in 
the town of Zorico, at the close of the fifteenth 
century. This office was a dignity which had de- 
scended to him from his father and was bestowed 
upon the family by the crown in recognition of 
the services rendered to the state in times of past 


14 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


danger. While in this position, he made the ac- 
quaintance of Maria de Mena, a virtuous and ac- 
complished lady, who won the young officer’s 
affections. God joined the two young hearts and 
crowned with many blessings their noble and 
virtuous alliance. 

On a certain day, in after years, when Maria 
was already the fond mother of a son, Francis, her 
thoughts reverted to the happiness of soon behold- 
ing her second born. But suddenly a cloud of 
anxious dread overcast her bright dream. For it 
seemed that after the labor attending her child- 
ren’s birth, she would be accorded only that doubt- 
ful pleasure which would be found in clasping 
them to her bosom, without ever being able to 
contemplate their innocent smiles. A presenti- 
ment of undefinable fear seized her ; a mingling 
of satisfaction and sorrow pervaded her whole 
being. 

Then it was that an excellent idea suggested it- 
self to her pious heart. She had heretofore de- 
lighted in the hope of perpetuating in her des- 
cendants, the illustrious name of her ancestors in 
all its pristine greatness, and, rightly attributing to 
this vain desire the reason of her present gloomy 
forebodings, she resolved in future to honor the 
memory of the heroes of Heaven, rather than those 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 


15 


of earth. Moved by this generous impulse, she 
determined to give to her unborn child a sacred 
name in testimony of her devotion to the saints. 
As it had been her wont to offer her children to 
the Blessed Virgin, Maria de Mena now sent up 
her sighs with a purer intention to that admira- 
ble Mother, beseeching her to accept graciously the 
gift now offered anew. While revolving in mind 
what name to bestow on her next born child, she 
heard a hidden voice, sweet and delicate as that 
of a maiden, saying to her: Why not call him 
Alphonsus? 

Words cannot express the surprise and hap- 
piness which this greeting caused the glad mother. 
She understood from it, that there was to be born 
unto her a male offspring, whom the Holy Virgin 
herself had deigned to take under protection, and 
to receive into her lasting service.* The generous 
mother, from that moment, consecrated the child 
yet unborn to the Queen of Heaven, with the 
earnest hope that one day he might, in example 


* Alphonsus is in Spanish an abbreviation of Ildefonsus, a 
saint of which name was archbishop of Toledo, the primatial 
see of Spain. He was a learned prelate and devoted client of 
the Blessed Virgin : his writings and sermons were strong and 
able in their defense of her immaculate virginity and divine 
motherhood against Jovinian. St. Ildefonsus flourished in the 
seventh century, from which time it was piously believed that 
the name Alphonsus secured for its bearer the special pro- 
tection of the Mother of God. 


16 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


of liis patron, St. Ildefonsus, become a distin- 
guished champion of Mary, zealous for the honor 
and the prerogatives of the Virgin Mother of God. 

But more extraordinary still, at the sound of the 
mysterious voice the child leaped within the ma- 
ternal womb. This was an incident which some 
indeed may explain as the natural response to the 
joy that thrilled the mother’s soul, though the 
devout Maria de Mena always regarded it as a 
favorable omen of the saint’s future career. She 
piously believed that, accompanying this voice of 
surpassing sweetness, there was present none other 
than she whose salutation had once moved John 
the Baptist with transports of delight.* 

It was on Thursday the 17th of Octobor, the 
year of the Jubilee, 1500, that Alphonsus Orozco, f 
this child of promise, was born. The sun had 
disappeared from the western sky when his birth 
was heralded by the A?igelus, whose last notes 

* See appendix A. 

f In the preparation of the English version of the Life of 
Blessed Alphonus, the prefix De , which originally belonged to 
the House of Orozco, lias been purposely omitted. While this 
slight departure from the original will render the name more 
in accord with the idiom of our language, it is also not with- 
out warrant iu point of good use. For, during the life of A l- 
phonsus he was popularly known as Father Orozco and in a 
letter to the General of his Order he subscribes himself with- 
out inserting this preposition before his family name. More- 
over at the present day there are in Spain many bearing the 
name of Orozco who like other families of illustrious descent no 
longer retain this expletive De. 


ALPEONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 17 

inviting the faithful to salute the Virgin, floated 
across the evening twilight. At this auspicious 
moment, to the no small surprise of the attending 
nurses, Maria de Mena glad and hopeful first 
fixed her gaze upon that child who was destined 
to shed a new lustre upon the family and name of 
Orozco. 

This happiest of mothers, in preparing her new- 
born child for baptism, would not allow him to be 
clothed with rich brocade nor any raiment of 
varied colors. But mindful of the admonition 
which was already conveyed her in the mysterious 
salutation Maria de Mena swaddled her infant in 
garments of spotless white, as befitted one about to 
be dedicated to the purest of virgins. 

Without delay he was taken to the Church of the 
Assumption at Oropesa, to receive baptism. This 
town, the birthplace of the Blessed Alphonsus, be- 
longed to the kingdom of Toledo, and to the 
Diocese of Avila. Its people always regarding 
themselves as specially favored by God in pos- 
sessing so holy a patron, have not failed to com- 
memorate, with fitting tribute, the event of his 
birth.* 

* la the middle of the last century the home, in which Al- 
phonsus was born, came into the possession of the Augusliuians 
of Spain : He is regarded as the special guardian of the vil- 
lage, and in the little town of Oropesa his feast is always cele- 
brated with pomp and splendor. 

2 


13 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Maria, the pious mother, after witnessing so 
many remarkable occurrences surrounding the 
birth of Alphonsus, was not now forgetful of her 
holy resolution, to honor in her children the mem- 
ory of the saints. Accordingly, she proposed 
giving to her child a name, which, while securing 
for him a patron in the galaxy of the blessed in 
heaven would shield him in his journey through 
life from the powers of wickedness. 

The remembrance of these incidents must 
doubtless have been a source of abiding comfort to 
the mother during her remaining years. This les- 
son of piety, so indelibly impressed on her own 
memory, she carefully instilled into the heart of 
her child. For Alphonsus, while giving thanks 
to God in that remarkable book of his Confessions 
written in his advanced years, recounts in minute 
detail these particulars bearing upon his birth 
which he could have gleaned only from the lips of 
his mother. “ O Supreme King,” he says, “ I re- 
turn Thee thanks without measure for the privilege 
of being born of Christian and Catholic parents. 
Such was their piety, that, regardless of the world 
and its established usages, they offered me before 
my birth to Thy service. My soul also praises 
Thee for having bestowed on me a name that was 
announced by the mouth of Thy Sacred Mother. 


ALPHOKSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 19 

And whence have I merited that the Mother of my 
Saviour and Redeemer shoidd come to me ? My 
God and my Glory, these are the gifts of Thy 
great bounty which Thou hast bestowed upon me. 
Father of mercies, Who art my very being, from 
Thee I have received so great favors, that in all 
my life I shall unceasingly praise and serve Thee, 
and at the same time render thanks to Thy Holy 
Mother, to whom I was debtor even before my 
birth.” 

Never did the Blessed Alphonsus forget these ex- 
traordinary graces which surrounded his birth into 
this world. At the advanced age of eighty years, 
he founded the convent of St. Elizabeth, and dedi- 
cated it to our Blessed Lady under the title of the 
Visitation in testimony of his lasting memory of 
Mary’s solicitude for the welfare and happiness of 
her servants, so admirably exemplified in her visit 
to St. Elizabeth. 


20 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER II. 

THE CHILDHOOD OF ALPHONSUS OEOZCO. ( 1506 - 
1518 .) 

Shortly after the baptism of Alphonsus, the lit- 
tle Church of the Assumption at Oropesa suffered 
a severe loss in the falling of its towers. The reg- 
ister, in which was entered the name of our saint, 
was buried in the ruins which resulted from the 
disaster. Maria of Arragon, a noble lady, made 
diligent but fruitless efforts to regain the lost treas- 
ure. In compliance with her request, the Blessed 
Alphonsus himself, embodied the needed informa- 
tion in his Confessions , commencing with the fol- 
lowing lines : “My birth was in Oropesa during 
the reign of the Catholic Queen Isabel of glorious 
memory. My father was named Hernando de 
Orozco ; my mother, Maria de Mena. Later, when 
I might have been eight years of age, they went 
to live in Talavera, five leagues from Oropesa. 
After serving in the major Church of the Talavera 
for some years, I was removed to Toledo, where I 
served as altar-boy in the Cathedral for three years. 
On leaving Toledo my father sent me to study at 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


21 


Salamanca, where my elder brother was already a 
student, and there the Lord disposed us for the re- 
ligious habit which we received together in the 
monastery of our holy Father, St. Augustine.” 

Whenever the subject of our biography speaks 
of himself, we are necessarily constrained to copy 
the interesting memoirs, which have been dictated 
by a pure and honest heart. History is the truth- 
ful narration of events ; it's object is best attained 
when we reclaim from the past the personages of 
interest and bring them clearly before fancy’s vis- 
ion, where they are painted true to life. But we 
can best accomplish this end by beholding their 
varied characters, as reflected in their own writings, 
which render their presence in a manner abiding, 
and enable us to listen to them, still living in the 
written thoughts, and influencing us by the exist- 
ing arguments which their reason constructed. 

With what eagerness and attention should we not 
hearken to a venerable old man seated in our midst, 
who, in recounting in clear and fervent words the 
rare favors and privileges which Heaven has be- 
stowed on him, recalls to fond memory the scenes 
of his infancy and breaks forth in praise of the gen- 
erous hand that blessed and sustained him during 
all the eventful happenings of his life. Thus may 
the reader gather from the lips of the Blessed 


22 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Father Orozco the treasured history, which he, 
himself, recounts to us concerning his early years, 
replete as they were with such incidents and perils, 
as beset man’s life at every step. The Saint has 
left us in this manner a detailed account of his 
early life, comprised in the book of his Confessions, 
written after he had attained to the years of four- 
score. 

We will venture here to introduce this work 
to our readers, that they may feel the more 
interest in the copious extracts which have been 
taken from it, and embodied in these succeeding 
pages. At the urgent request of friends, and in 
obedience to the command of his superiors, Al- 
phonsus was constrained in his latter da}^s to write 
down some incidents of his own life — a task to 
which he felt a natural repugnance, for he shrunk 
from even the slightest allusions to the many se- 
cret mortifications practiced during his long years 
of penance, while he was equally disposed to be 
reticent concerning the celestial favors with which 
he was, in a special manner, honored. At this 
juncture, it occurred to the Blessed Alphonsus, 
after the example of his glorious patriarch, to bring 
to the knowledge of his friends in the form of con- 
fessions, his sins and imperfections, being persuaded 
that these self-accusations would inspire diffident 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 23 

souls with confidence and urge them to greater 
candor with their confessors in the tribunal of pen- 
ance. This same work has been an invaluable aid 
to the writer in preparing the Saint’s own biogra- 
phy ; for it is the sole key which unlocks the in- 
most secrets of the pure heart of Alphonsus. In 
it, he thus speaks of himself : 

“ The hand of the Lord was with me, strengthen- 
ing me.” * When, wearied and dismayed by the 
vision of an angel, Ezechiel spoke these words in 
praise of the Lord. “ The same,” he says, “ my 
God shall I utter with great truth ; because never, 
not even when a child, did Thy powerful hand for- 
sake me. While a mere infant, before attaining 
the use of reason, I chanced to find a keen edged 
knife, and, with all my might, I strove to force it 
into my breast after its blade had already passed 
through several folds of my clothing. My mother 
coming, found my face flushed from my efforts to 
commit this folly, the fatal consequences of which, 
I was ignorant, and, in great excitement she took 
the knife from me. O Sovereign Lord ! who 
snatched me from that peril of my life? Was it 
not Thy powerful hand that prevented the knife 
from injuring me ? King of Heaven, I adore Thy 
clemency and a thousand times do I praise Thy 


*Ezech. iii. 14. 


24 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


power. The truth is, Thou didst save me because 
I was innocent, else I should have perished from a 
deadly stab. But Thy divine Counsel chose to 
ordain my deliverance in order that I might the 
better serve Him who snatched me from so im- 
minent destruction. 

“ Great are the dangers that threaten children on 
account of their innocence and lack of knowledge. 
Praised be Thy majesty, who hast conducted me 
safe through all mishaps. The misfortunes which 
befall others are a profitable lesson to us: and 
hence I ought to know that none could deliver me 
from all my miseries save Thou, who beholdest all 
things, and all things sustainest as the universal 
Ruler of all. 

“ Thine too was the divine hand that guided and 
accompanied me, when, at seven years, while 
kneeling with another child about the same age 
during the elevation of the Blessed Sacrament at 
Mass, we made a promise to enter hereafter the 
ecclesiastical state. Infinite Goodness, how truly 
should my soul love Thee for this holy disposition, 
the gift of Thy bountiful hand. I know not in 
what state my companion died, for I realize that a 
vow made at so tender an age was not binding. 
My parents (Lord grant them their reward in 
Heaven) gladly seconded my wish and purpose to 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


25 


consecrate myself to the service of the Church. 
And being pleased to pursue so holy a calling, I 
grasped the opportunities that were afforded me 
and was fostered in this vocation from my early 
years.” 

In this book of his Coyifessions , Blessed Alphon- 
sus pays deserved tribute to his truly pious 
mother, whose example and guidance exerted so 
salutary an influence upon his early years. He 
paints, in vivid thought, the zeal which consumed 
her in the service of God, and moved her to labor 
energetically for the Christian education of her 
children. How many learned and devout writers 
when expressing their tender and best thoughts 
have not with St. Augustine ascribed the noblest 
and most cherished inspirations of their being to a 
fond mother’s teaching, which, like a seed planted 
in the heart, soon blossoms eventually to ripen 
into fruits of good works and heroic virtues. Her- 
nando, head of the house, was not wanting in the 
piety so admirably' evinced by mother and son, as 
the Blessed Alphonsus himself attests. He was 
wont to render no small thanks to the Giver of 
all good for having been born of parents so truly 
Christian. 

During his stay in the town of Talavera, where 
he was choir-boy in the parochial church, Al- 


26 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


phonsus learned to read and write. Afterwards 
he was given a place among the altar-boys who 
sang in the choir of the Cathedral of Toledo. 
Here he applied himself with success to the study 
of music, in whose sweet strains he always found 
a happy medium to unbosom himself of those fer- 
vent sentiments of love which his heart cherished 
towards God. 

For three years, or until he had reached the age 
of fourteen, young Alphonsus remained in fami- 
liar service about the Cathedral of Toledo, the 
primary church of Spain. He thus spent his 
early years within the chaste enclosure of the 
sanctuary as a fit school of practice for his future 
ministry at the altar. Subsequent chapters will 
speak of the zeal and devotion with which he pre- 
pared himself for the sacred priesthood, that voca- 
tion to which he was called, as foreseen by his 
mother in dreams, and foretold in prophecy by the 
Queen of Heaven. 


ALPHONSUS OROZOO, 0. S. A. 


27 


CHAPTER III. 

YOUNG ALPHONSUS IS ENTERED AMONG THE STU- 
DENTS OF THE FAR FAMED UNIVERSITY OF 
SALAMANCA. (1514-1522.) 

In those tender years of childhood, during 
which Alphonsus had served about the church at 
Talavera, and the Basilica of Toledo, he had man- 
ifested a ready assent to the offering made to the 
Virgin by his mother, and also partially fulfilled 
the vow, which, when seven years old, he had pro- 
nounced in presence of the Blessed Sacrament. 
But there was much still remaining for him to 
do, before he could be styled the faithful imitator 
of his holy patron, St. Ildefonsus, whose life and 
writings extolled the praises and extended the 
glory of the Immaculate Mother of God. 

Alphonsus had now reached that age Avhen 
childish sports are usually cast aside, and the 
choosing of a career in life becomes a subject of 
consideration, — a problem of a serious nature, 
which confronts all on arriving at the threshold of 
manhood, and upon whose solution important and 
far-reaching results depend. His elder brother 


28 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Francis had already entered the University of 
Salamanca, and his parents who were in easy cir- 
cumstances, determined that young Alphonsus 
also, should there begin his higher studies. Nor 
could a place more fitting have been selected. 

Salamanca, the pride of Spain in bygone days, 
had by the influence of her greatness and under the 
caressing hand of fortune, mounted with rapid 
strides to the very acme of culture and learning. 
Pontiff after Pontiff had endowed this university 
with rich benefices, and bestowed upon it singu- 
lar privileges. For her, they had shown a predi- 
lection and solicitude befitting the most loved and 
discreet daughter of the Church, finally placing 
her under the immediate protection of Rome, 
where were devised those very specific laws under 
which she thrived and by which she was governed 
— a free, prosperous and independent institution. 

Succeeding sovereigns of Spain, regarding this 
seat of learning as the chief ornament of their 
kingdom, strove to shelter it under their royal 
mantle and to foster its rising state. The 
Crown lavished considerations of honor, and gifts 
of rich bounty upon the professors, who, no less 
than the students, were exempt from the common 
tax imposed for the maintenance of the king’s ex- 
chequer ; while at all public receptions and royal 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 29 

fetes, Salamanca’s masters ranked among the first 
lords of the realm. Fortunately these were the 
times in which Spain was reaping a fruitful har- 
vest under the joint reign of its beloved “ two 
kings,” as Ferdinand and Isabella were popularly 
known. 

Salamanca, the celebrated city on the river 
Tormes, showed every sign of this growing 
prosperity which spread itself through the length 
and breath of the Iberian Peninsula. In this 
era was erected its famous Cathedral of Gothic 
design, a monument of magnificence, that sur- 
vives to the present day; then too, arose the 
splendid schools of stately grandeur, in which 
was educated the nobility of Castile, the flower 
of the Spanish youth. Almost all the religious 
Orders opened houses of study in their convents 
at Salamanca, to which were sent the more tal- 
ented and select of the experienced masters, and 
the more promising of their young students. 
The various colleges incorporated in the Univer- 
sity, (in whose lecture halls all assembled with a 
spirit of harmony), contributed much to the 
prestige of this new Athens,* and added a glow- 
ing sparkle to its already brilliant splendor. 

* Salamanca on account of her literary distinction was long 
known as the Athens of Spain. 


30 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


111 the happy reign of Ferdinand and Isabella, 
knights and noble ladies of foreign countries prided 
themselves on their familiar knowledge of the 
language of Castile and on possessing that courtly 
refinement which the schools of Spain alone im- 
parted. 

The time at which Alphonsus Orozco was en- 
rolled among the students of Salamanca was the 
era when the classic, but eccentric Erasmus, de- 
clared that the better class of Spaniards excelled 
in good studies from the fact that they were serv- 
ing as models to other nations. The aurora of the 
Golden Age now dawned with all its effulgence 
on Spain. It was the age in which our blessed 
Alphonsus began his career in the most famed 
university of that land, where the liberal studies 
were pursued with singular order and enthusiasm. 

The very princes of the kingdom were more 
honored on account of the titles they had received 
from this Mecca of wisdom, than from the crested 
shields of their illustrious families. The king’s 
own cousin won distinction for the extensive learn- 
ing and superior talents which were displayed in 
his lectures before the ecclesiastical students, while 
the heir to the first military honors of Castile ex- 
pounded in these halls of Salamanca the classic 
Pliny and Ovid. Almost from the very date of 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


31 


foundation 1239, this principal seat of learning in 
Spain had twenty-five professorships established. 
Later, at the time in which Peter Chacon wrote 
the history of this institution, 1569, they had 
reached the number of seventy. Emulous of the 
attainments of her sister University, the famous 
Sorbonne in Paris, Salamanca in the year 1608, 
sent learned men to the Capital of France, to se- 
cure at any cost, some of the noted masters of the 
Nominalists, whose theories were then attracting 
the attention of the learned world. In a short 
time new halls were opened, in which were studied 
the works of the master minds of the two conflict- 
ing schools of Realism and Nominalism. 

Here flocked the gallant youth of Ital} r , En- 
land, France, Portugal and Flanders, to win, by 
their learning, the coveted degrees of this re- 
nowned university, the number of whose students 
in the years of her palmy state varied from six to 
fourteen thousand. Such was the flourishing con- 
dition of this emporium of sciences, when Al- 
phonsus, of princely birth, added his name to the 
cluster of talented youths whose conduct pur- 
chased for her the well merited title of “ Mother 
of the liberal arts and of all the virtues.” Here 
during eight years under the care of his parents 
and elder brother, Alphonsus continued his patient 


32 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


study, storing liis mind with a copious supply of 
rich learning. 

What deeds worthy of reference he performed 
during those years of promise, or what detailed 
success attended his labor, history has not re- 
corded. The fruits which ripened in his more 
mature age alone remain to tell the story. His 
biographers do not refer to any circumstance at- 
tending his studies in the university of Salamanca, 
save that he pursued the course of civil and eccle- 
siastical law. Nor can any information be ob- 
tained upon this point from the registers of that 
ancient school. Recent and careful examination 
has again verified the already admitted fact, that 
all records of the students’ curriculum preceding 
the year 1545 are no longer extant. But from the 
eminent distinction which this seat of learning 
had then attained, and from the studious disposi- 
tion and superior endowments of young Alphon- 
sus as amply proved in after years, we may infer 
what a high standard of proficiency he acquired 
during those years of persistent labor. A just es- 
timate of the results which attended the labors of 
Alphonsus while at Salamanca may perhaps be 
best summed up in that mysterious phrase in 
which the evangelist epitomized the early history 
of the child Jesus: “ He increased in age and wis- 
dom before God and men.” 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


33 


CHAPTER IV. 

ALPHONSUS EMBRACES THE RELIGIOUS STATE. 

( 1522 .) 

Towards the close of Alphonsus’ eighth aca- 
demic year of studies, a famous preacher, later 
known as the Holy Almoner, the model of bishops 
and prelates, aroused an intense enthusiasm 
throughout the city of Salamanca. None could 
resist the force of his eloquence, which, like 
magic, drew to him the masters and students of 
the University, besides endless multitudes from 
every class and condition of life. He who thus 
held the whole city spellbound was no other than 
the revered St. Thomas of Villanova, an Augus- 
tinian religious whom the Church may yet honor 
with the title of Doctor. He possessed that singu- 
lar gift which captivated the hearts of his hearers 
and enamored them of God. St. Thomas, the 
apostle of his age, seemed like a prophet sent From 
God to call the people to a knowledge of their 
evil ways. His voice was heard in Salamanca at 
a time when the city was rent with rival factions, 
and when the whole province of Castile was in re- 
3 


34 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


volt against its Sovereign, Charles V. Above the 
din of war and clash of arms, rose, in trumpet 
notes, the thrilling voice of this angel of peace, 
arresting the thoughts of men, who were intent on 
sin and slaughter, and striking repentance into 
their hearts. 

The fire of charity, kindled in the soul of this 
holy religious, communicated itself to all whom 
Providence brought within the reach of his benign 
influence. The city underwent a complete refor- 
mation through the widespread conversion of its 
inhabitants, resulting from the Lenten sermons 
preached by St. Thomas. So much was this truth 
felt, that in the words of a contemporary, Sala- 
manca was likened to one large monastery peopled 
with observant religious. Young men, to whom 
the world held out her most alluring promises, go- 
ing forth from the halls of this famous university, 
caught up from the words of our saint the divine 
flame of charity, and generously foreswore the 
pleasures and comforts of life, to seek fellowship 
among the pure souls of the cloister. Here, dead 
to the world, many a student of high rank enlisted 
under the standard of the Cross to battle in the 
cause of that King Who is not of this earth but 
Who has promised to requite the loyalty of His 
follower with a hundredfold reward. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


35 


Among those who at this time received the in- 
spiration, as did the Apostles of old to leave all 
things and follow Jesus, was Francis Orozco, elder 
brother of our Alphonsus. The young man long 
hesitated to make known his purpose, fearing that 
Alphonsus also might desire to pursue the same 
holy calling, in the event of which happening, 
their parents would be left alone and disconsolate in 
the world. Accordingly, he betook himself with 
great caution to the Augustinian Convent of the 
city to seek counsel, and at the same time solicit 
from the Superior, the religious habit. Having 
obtained the favors sought, Francis could no 
longer withhold the knowledge of his pious re- 
solve from his younger brother. 

The discovery of the secret dawned like a ray 
of light on the mind of Alphonsus, while it sent a 
pang of grief to his heart, for it reminded him 
that strong opposition would be entered against 
his own long cherished plan to embrace the religious 
state. He was greatly disturbed, being unable to 
disguise the decided inclination which he himself 
felt to follow the example of Francis. The re- 
ligious life always had a peculiar charm for young 
Alphonsus. It had long been the ambition of his 
life to leave family, wealth and kindred to the en- 


36 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


joyment of Francis, and to consecrate himself en- 
tirely to the service of God. 

But now he determined to give the matter 
timely consideration, and decide all with that 
judgment which comes from more mature years. 
Before committing himself however to any plan 
regarding the future, Alphonsus resolved to test 
his own constancy of purpose by experiencing how 
his nature and temperament would be effected by 
retirement and solitude. For it is well known 
that they contain a secret balm which produce in 
pure and elevated souls, a sensation of ineffable 
sweetness ; while those whose consciences are 
burdened with sin fastened to earth by ties of un- 
holy affection find these same conditions of life 
tedious and unbearable. Accordingly, he removed 
to the least frequented apartments of his parents’ 
house, where undisturbed by the noise and bustle 
of the world, he waited to hear in the secrets of 
his heart the voice of God. Meanwhile he humbly 
and unceasingly implored the Spirit of Light to 
direct him in the way leading to that state of life, 
wherein he could best fulfil the designs of his 
Maker. 

“ I will allure her and will lead her into the 
wilderness, and I will speak to her heart,” is a 
divine promise of Holy Writ, whose fulfilment is 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


37 


vouchsafed to those only who worship God in 
spirit and truth. Alphonsus in answer to his 
prayers and vigils now rejoiced to hear this sacred 
text echo its meaning in the secrets of his soul. 
For not only did he clearly perceive the step 
which remained for him to take, but he was also en- 
lightened as to its importance, viewed not less in 
its bearings on his eternal salvation, than in its re- 
lations to the designs of God for his career of 
usefulness on earth. 

In answer to his prayers and as a reward to a pure 
heart that earnestly craved this light of heavenly 
guidance, the Lord extended to Alphonsus the 
divine call to live henceforth according to the 
evangelical counsels by embracing the rule and 
institute of St. Augustine,* the holy Bishop of 
Hippo. Francis, however, opposed his brother’s 
desire to embrace the religious life, on the ground, 
that, being the younger and only son remaining in 
the world, he owed a paramount duty to his 
parents. But there was no alternative : Francis 
was forced to yield assent on hearing from Alphon- 
sus this generous answer, which reflected the sin- 
cerity of his purpose : “ Let us save our own 

souls and God will guard the welfare of our 
parents.” 


* See Appendix A. 2. 


38 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


After this, the two brothers together were vested 
with the habit of St. Augustine and received into 
the Augustinian Convent of St. Peter at Sala- 
manca. On the vigil of Pentecost, June 8, 1522, 
prostrate at the feet of the Father Prior in presence 
of the whole community they besought the mercy 
of God and the company of these holy religious.* 

There is no record handed down to us re- 
garding the young men’s farewell to their father 
and mother. Yet, we have every reason to be- 
lieve, that the pious parents heartily commended 
their sons in this holy undertaking. Among the 
various difficulties which Alphonsus had to sur- 
mount during the time, preceding his profession, 
no mention is ever made of the slightest opposi- 
tion on the part of his family. On the contrary, 
from the study of foregoing events, and from the 
incidents related by witnesses, there can remain 
not even a shadow of doubt but that the gener- 
ous parents cheerfully offered their only sons to 
the Lord, being consoled in the loss of their com- 
panionship during the decline of life with the 
hope, that lasting happiness of greater worth 
would accrue to them from the consecration of 
these young hearts to the service of God. 

* We are aware that many assign the date of Alphonsus’ 
entrance into religious life as somewhat subsequent to that 
of his brother. The learned Bishop of Salamanca, however, 
after a careful study adheres to the statement as found above. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


39 


CHAPTER V. 

TIIE CONVENT OF THE AUGUSTINIANS IN SALA- 
MANCA. ITS SUPERIORS DURING THE NOVI- 
TIATE OF YOUNG ALPHONSUS. 

The convent of the Augustinians at Salamanca 
formed for many years a brilliant gem in the coro- 
net of the Spanish Church. The mention of the 
name of this treasure-house of sanctity exacts of 
us something more than passing notice, particu- 
larly, as Alphonsus has now retired within its 
sacred portals, where his young heart, like wax 
within a mould, is to be fashioned according to its 
rule. 

This, the novitiate-house of our young novice, 
was called the Convent of St. Peter, on account 
of its dedication to the prince of the apostles. 
The early history of this institution is hidden in 
the clouds of uncertainit} 7 -, but by the year 1300 
it had attained an enviable prominence in the an- 
nals of the Church, being famed chiefly for the 
sanctity of its occupants. The Angel of the 
Apocalypse, the marvellous St. Vincent Ferrier, 
traversed the cities of Europe during the ca- 
lamitous days of the famous schism of the west, 


40 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


striving, amidst the laxity of morals which then 
prevailed, to rouse the people from dissipation to 
a spirit of penance, and to prepare them for the 
second coming of Jesus Christ. Being greatly 
edified on reaching Salamanca by the spirit of 
recollection and fervent devotion, which obtained 
in the Convent of the Augustinians, he pro- 
nounced a memorable prophecy, which afterwards 
passed into a popular saying, that in a community 
so observant , a saint would never be wanting. 

Admirably, too, do the ancient chroniclers* bear 
witness to the fulfilment of this prophetic assur- 
ance of St. Vincent. Inexpressibly associated 
with the history of this convent, have come down 
to us the names of men eminent in sanctity, that 
excite our admiration, not less for the heroism of 
their virtues, than for the prodigies of wonder 
wrought through their intercession. The apos- 
tolic St. John of Sahagun, bright luminary and 
patron of the city, wonder-worker of the fifteenth 
century, was schooled in the novitiate, and was 
twice elected prior of the convent in which young 
Alphonsus now begins his religious career.f 

In October, 1522, four months after Alphonsus 

* Fathers Herrera and Vidal. 

fThe following epitaph marks the tomb of St. John Sahagiin: 
Hie Jacet per quem Salamanca non Jacet. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 41 

had received the habit of St. Augustine, Thomas 
of Villanova commenced his second term as 
superior of the Convent of St. Peter. We may 
be allowed to tarry a moment in praise of the 
merits of this prelate, who, as head of that vener- 
able community, reflects credit upon the entire re- 
ligious body. Not in all Spain, nor scarcely in 
the whole Catholic world, can there be found one 
who has not heard of the magnanimous deeds of 
mercy, particularly of the glowing charity in be- 
half of the poor, which distinguished this holy 
religious as the great Archbishop of Valencia. 
His sermons, still extant, attest his piety and 
learning, and breathe towards the Mother of God 
that sweet confiding devotion, which St. Bernard, 
in former days, sought to inspire in the hearts of 
the people. 

The brilliant career of Thomas of Villanova 
while professor in the University of Alcala* won 
for him so marked a distinction among learned men 
that the faculty of Salamanca, the Athens of Spain, f 
welcomed him to the chair of Ethics. Here, under 
the shadows of St. Peter’s Convent, Thomas was 

* The University of Alcala was founded by Cardinal Xim- 
enes, in the year 1500, and later achieved so great distinction 
as to rival the glory of Salamanca. 

f The University of Salamanca was by common consent 
long recognized as the Athens of Spain. 


42 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


an eyewitness of the observance and fervor of its 
religious, and after studying the constitutions 
which govern the Order of St. Augustine, he 
cheerfully resigned the honors which his genius 
had fairly won before the world, and donned the 
humble habit of an Augustinian friar. Seven 
years he dwelt here in peaceful seclusion, when, 
more to the honor of the community than of the 
Saint himself, Thomas was chosen its Superior. 

Alphonsus, happy in the possession of a sainted 
prior, was not less fortunate in his worthy master 
of novices, Father Louis de Montoya, a veritable 
master of the spiritual life, to whose guidance he 
was now intrusted. To this position the Blessed 
Louis was called at the age of twenty-four years. 
Later, he was sent by the General of his Order to 
Portugal on a delicate mission dealing with the 
welfare of the Augustinians of that province, over 
whom he was soon after elected superior. During 
his stay in these parts, he founded the University 
of Coimbra, and was himself the first to defend, in 
its halls, the exact doctrine which has since been 
defined by the Church as the dogma of the Immac- 
ulate Conception. Fr. Montoya steadfastly refused 
to accept royal bounties for his convents, prefer- 
ing to maintain them in austere poverty, rather 
than jeopardize the independence of himself and 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


43 


his brethren. So great was the fame of his learn- 
ing and sanctity, that the Jesuits, recently estab- 
lished in Coimbra, sent their scholastics to attend 
the conferences given by him. At this time the re- 
nowned St. Ignatius of Loyola was still laboring for 
the advancement of the Society of Jesus, whose in- 
stitution had been so recently effected. Blessed 
Louis de Montoya* was honored with the Saint’s 
confidence, and corresponded with him on subjects 
treating of the Spiritual Life. 

These were the superiors, to whose immediate 
care and guidance the two Orozcos, in company 
with five other novices, found themselves en- 
trusted. Wise heads and pious hearts were intent 
on the welfare of these young men, whose after 
years proved how well they profited of the advan- 
tage of their noviceship. f Father Thomas Her- 
rera, in his History of Salamanca , alludes to the Re- 
ligious of St. Peter’s monastery as follows : “ In 

♦Father Louis de Montoya died in the year 1569, after hum- 
bly declining the See of Yeseo, for which he was chosen. 

f Their names are as follows : John Baptist Moya, Al- 
phousus Borja, Christopher of St. Martin, Augustine Gormaz, 
and Fernando de Castroverde. The last named became the 
distinguished Preacher at the Court of Charles Y. and was fre- 
quently styled the Chrysostom of the age. The remaining four 
devoted their lives to the Mission of Mexico, comprising a por- 
tion of that little band of intrepid apostles sent by St. Thomas 
of Yillanova. 


44 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


this holy convent there was apparent at all times 
the rigor of primitive observance, by which 
was maintained a remarkable degree of religious 
fervor. During the few years which I spent in 
Salamanca, I saw and knew several religious of 
this convent. They were men who had attained a 
rare degree of virtue and were much exercised in 
mental prayer, many of whom spent nearly the 
whole night in choir, engaged in unbroken con- 
templation. Their life was a continual struggle 
against the devil, who sought to seduce them 
from their saintly aims. They chastised their 
bodies with severe discipline and mortification. 
So deeply were they imbued with the spirit of self- 
denial that oftentimes it was found necessary to 
wash away the stains of blood which were found 
in the choir after some members of the community 
had concluded the voluntary application of the 
discipline upon their own bodies.” 

The religious of the convent were specially com- 
mended for the devotional and melodious recita- 
tion of the Divine Office. The Bishop of Sala- 
manca was wont to say, that the choir of St. 
Peter’s Convent, for exact measure and unbroken 
harmony, surpassed the music of any organ. 

We scarcely need say more. Enough has been 
related to enable the reader to form an idea of the 


ALPTIONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 45 

auspicious surroundings amidst which was begun 
the hidden and penitential life of our youthful ser- 
vant of God. Sixty years later, Blessed Alphonsus 
sang the canticle of his triumph, the pathos of 
which reveals the difficulties, trials and tempta- 
tions which made his time, as novice, a season of 
intense bitterness, yet fruitful in good results. 

It is well known that the novitiate of a religious 
community is that secluded abode where fervor of 
the highest degree usually prevails. It is the 
forge-house of charity, the school of sacrifice, 
where contempt for the world and forgetfulness of 
self are the chief lessons taught. Here, moral 
forces bud forth with vigorous life, grounding 
themselves deeply in the soil of humility and mor- 
tification, to blossom afterwards with virtues that 
defy the blighting storms of temptation. Languid, 
weak germs foreshadow a sterile harvest ; while 
vigorous shoots promise a fruitful ripening. This 
principle of nature loses none of its force when 
applied to the religious life, as was verified in the 
career of our Blessed Alphonsus Orozco. 


46 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER VI. 

THE NOVITIATE OF ALPHONSUS. HIS T.RIALS AND 
TEMPTATIONS. ( 1522 .) 

During the term of his novitiate the Lord made 
manifest to Alphonsus the path in which Provi- 
dence had destined him to walk. By bitter 
experience, the young religious discovered the 
meaning of those truths to which in after years 
he gave expression when writing of the spiritual 
life. To Alphonsus, this early struggle into which 
he now enters was a rude and sudden awakening 
from dreams of peace and contentment to the 
need and importance of the counsel given in Ec- 
clesiasticus : “ Son, when thou comest to the serv- 
ice of God, stand in justice and fear, and prepare 
thy soul for temptation.” 

In his treatise On the Sweetness of God, written 
many years later, Alphonsus argues from his own 
experience and knowledge of others that God is 
wont to be very frank with His friends in their 
war against a deceitful world and the arch-seducer, 
Satan. With the first sincere effort to serve so 
generous a Master, there is unfolded to the view 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , O. S. A. 


47 


of His followers, the future sufferings which they 
must endure in loyalty to Him, and the humilia- 
tions which must be undergone before the full pos- 
session of the promised rewards is attained. This 
truth, the Blessed Father Orozco exemplifies in 
the conversion of St. Paul, to whom, as yet un- 
baptized, the Lord revealed all that it was meet 
for him to suffer for the cause of the Holy Name. 

But it is not thus that the world treats its 
votaries, who are beguiled with golden dreams and 
seduced by vain hopes, while the disastrous end 
to which their momentary pleasure leads, is sed- 
ulously concealed from their eyes. 

In conformity with this teaching, the Lord now 
unfolded His designs to His youthful servant, Al- 
phonsus Orozco. As a novice, he was made to 
taste the real bitterness of the chalice of which 
friends of the Crucified must drink. The early 
struggles of Alphonsus form a picture wherein 
appear, in frightful tumult, the tempests that pas- 
sion stirs in the anguished breast of one, whose 
very soul, devastated by the blighting storm, be- 
comes parched with spiritual aridity, while the en- 
ergies of the whole man were broken by the acute 
sufferings of prolonged infirmity. To this, was 
added the torment of scruples, which clouded his 
clear mind to an extent that drove him to the 


48 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


very brink of despairing madness. Yet all this 
came from the hand of the Lord, to whom the 
zealous novice in return showed unswerving 
loyalty and devotion. With rigorous fasts .he un- 
ceasingly mortified his carnal appetites, while a 
coarse hair shirt covered his body and lacerated 
his tender flesh to the very quick. His only rest 
from labor and fatigue was obtained in sle^p of 
short duration upon a couch made of brambles 
and vine-shoots. Surely the spirit weakens within 
us, being overcast with the gloom of dismay, on 
learning that it is God who thus subdues the flesh 
and quickens the life of the soul ; and that He, 
through abundant grace and unspeakable counsel, 
has enabled his children, bred in patience, to pur- 
sue with contentment, the dark and ignominious 
road to Calvary, rather than to glory in the bril- 
liant and delighting ways of Thabor. 

God, in this manner, chose to temper the soul 
of Alplionsus in the crucible of affliction and fit 
him by humiliating experience, to receive in after 
times, favors of an extraordinary nature. Hence, 
as a means to this end the youthful novice was bur- 
dened with a twofold novitiate — one of outer ob- 
servance, the other of inner trials, both of which, 
in their nature were novel and extremely burden- 
some to the timid soul of Alphonsus. 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 49 

But the devil was envious of the virtues to 
which the sorely tried novice was aiming at under 
the guiding influence of his saintly master, Father 
Montoya, and accordingly, resorted to every con- 
ceivable artifice to render this austere rule of life 
unbearable to the diffident soul of Alphonsus, 
hoping thus to force him to abandon his holy voca- 
tion and induce him to seek in worldly pursuits 
and dangerous pleasures that happiness which was 
denied him in the cloister. Subtle powers of con- 
trary natures were now exerted upon him. Alone, 
sheltered from the gaze of the multitude, he 
engages in that holy warfare, the result of which 
is made the basis of his future triumph. It would 
seem that God permitted Satan to wait for Blessed 
Alphonsus at the very threshold of the novitiate 
in order to harass him while at prayer, to invade 
his retirement with the suggestion of vain de- 
ceits, or to assail him with wild bursts of mad 
passion. 

Yet all the while the Lord was nigh, fashioning 
the soul of his novice according to the solid vir- 
tues ; later, to lead him forth, unscathed, from the 
fiery furnace of affliction. Thus it was, that the 
various means designed by Satan for his spiritual 
ruin, concurred under the benign influence of 
grace, to purify this chaste soul from the dross of 
4 


50 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


earthly affection, and render it a marvel of sanc- 
tity. 

For Alphonsus, the period of his novitiate was 
the religious crisis of his whole life. When his 
years were fourscore, he viewed with deep emo- 
tion, this time of probation, and, fully realizing 
its important bearing upon his earthly career and 
heavenly hopes, cried out : “ Holy Lord and 

Father of Mercies, how truly ought my soul to 
thank Thee for the special watchfulness which 
Thou didst exercise over me during my novice- 
ship. After I had forever renounced the world, 
and was invested with a holy habit, what words 
can express the combats and assaults which Satan, 
that insidious foe of Thine launched against me? 
Sometimes, he represented to me the liberty en- 
joyed by the world ; again he would bring before 
me the natural love I owed my parents, and lastly, 
he sought to picture to me the loneliness and se- 
verity of the religious life on which I had entered ; 
thus laboring to persuade me that it was impossi- 
ble to continue so laborious a routine of life. 
How many times, in consequence, was I resolved 
to quit the holy life which I had begun.” 

Certainly in the observant convents of old, when 
rigorous penances were practiced with great se- 
verity, religious life possessed little ease or luxury. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 51 

Well might Alphonsus, at the close of his noviti- 
ate, pause before offering himself to God in sacri- 
fice, under the rule that obtained in the Convent 
of St. Peter at Salamanca. Witnesses, contem- 
porary with the events here narrated, testify to 
practices of virtue and self-denial occurring within 
its walls, the knowledge of which is sufficient to 
put to shame the delicacy and fastidiousness of 
modern Christians. 

“But in all these things we overcome because 
of Him that hath loved us,’ , for God never ceases 
to caress an afflicted soul to whom He reveals in 
the very depths of its sufferings such counsel and 
strength as will enable it to suffer with resigna- 
tion and joy. “It is true my Lord,” writes 
Blessed Alphonsus in his Confessions, “that dur- 
ing the period of my probation I was greviously 
harassed with various temptations, but at the 
same time, praise be to Thee, I was made sensible 
of Thy comforts and relished that divine sweet- 
ness which alone could lighten the burden of these 
and other trials, which Thou didst send me. Not 
without reason may I exclaim in the words of 
holy Job : Let this be my consolation, O Lord, that 
you have not ceased to afflict me with sorrow.” 


52 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER VII. 

ALPHONSUS’ RELIGIOUS PROFESSION AND PREP- 
ARATION FOR ORDINATION. DEATH OF HIS 
BROTHER FRANCIS. ( 1523 ). 

“ But in all these combats Thou my Redeemer, 
didst not withdraw Thy hand from me, and 
through the bounty of Thy grace I completed the 
time of my probation — a priceless favor which is 
granted only to those who invoke Thee with faith 
and love.” Surely it is a dreadful thing to put 
our hand to the plow, and, in the expression of 
our Saviour, look back : since not they who simply 
cry out: “Lord, Lord,” shall be numbered among 
the elect, but rather those who persevere to the 
end in the good work which they have begun. 

When, in the anguish of temptation and after 
suffering an entire loss of spiritual fervor, Alphon- 
sus seemed on the point of quitting the cloister, 
these truths of Holy Writ opportunely coming to 
his mind, contributed in no small measure, to 
cheer his wearied soul. A wholesome fear of God 
possessed him and enabled him to bear up man- 
fully against all discouragements. The straits of 
bitterness to which young Alphonsus was now re- 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , O. S. A. 53 

duced later became the sweet measures in which 
he sang the canticle of victory ; for to him was 
accorded the grace of perseverance which he 
called “ The singular favor God grants to those 
who invoke Him with faith and love.” These 
words, escaping from his lips, disclose the secret, 
by which the zealous novice mastered the difficul- 
ties, that confronted him during the year of his 
probation. 

Now, as the time of his profession drew near, 
the fears and doubts which heretofore enveloped 
the soul of Blessed Alphonsus in gloomy sadness 
were dispelled and he longed with an ardent de- 
sire to consecrate himself unreservedly to God by 
the solemn vows of religious poverty, chastity and 
obedience. One sorrow alone remained to cloud 
his pure soul on this auspicious occasion. His 
fellow-novice and brother, Francis, was unable to 
share his joys. A mortal illness had laid hold of 
the elder Orozco, who awaited death as his only re- 
lief. The Lord was pleased to crown the work of 
grace in Francis, by speedily rewarding the patient 
endurance of his afflictions, from which he passed 
to his reward before his vows of religion were re- 
corded on earth. 

The ceremony of Alphonsus’ profession oc- 
curred on the' 9th day of June, 1523. The blessed 


54 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Louis Montoya presented the worthy novice, while 
none other than the venerable prior, St. Thomas 
of Yillanova, received his vows. Truly was this 
a day of rejoicing for the Augustinian brethren, 
who now numbered among their ranks, one whose 
future was destined to add renown to their order 
on earth and to enhance its glory in Heaven. 

So notable an event in the annals of the con- 
vent at Salamanca has been fittingly commemo- 
rated by its religious. “ In the passageway leading 
from the sacristy to the church of the convent,” 
says an ancient chronicler, * “there is a large and 
beautiful painting, of which the profession of Al- 
phonsus forms the subject. It represents St. 
Thomas of Yillanova receiving the vows of the 
novice, whom the saintly master, Fr. Louis Mon- 
toya, is commending to the holy prior’s care ; 
while Alphonsus himself is pictured in the centre 
with a scroll on which is written in letters of 
gold : ‘ Aequalis duobus rectis,’ which means : 

‘ A novice who emulates the sanctity of his prior 
and master.’ ” 

For a long time the authentic manuscript on 
which Blessed Alphonsus had written his profes- 
sion was preserved with deserving reverence. In 
headaches, and troubles affecting the eyes, the re- 
* P. Yidal. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 55 

ligious applied it as a relic, confident that a docu- 
ment attesting so pleasing a sacrifice to God, and 
verified by the signature of three saints, possessed 
a virtue for the relief of infirmities. 

The religious profession is likened to a spiritual 
espousal. This privilege God did not accord the 
elder brother, Francis Orozco. While still a nov- 
ice he breathed forth his fervent soul unto God, 
who, we trust, clothed it with the nuptial garment 
of glory, and enabled him to celebrate inviolable, 
indissoluble and eternal espousals in the kingdom 
of grace. 

Thus terminated the novitiate of the two brothers 
Francis and Alphonsus. From its sacred abode 
one departed to his eternal reward, after enduring 
the miseries of a prolonged infirmity ; the other 
passed from it to take rank among the professed 
religious of his community. Alphonsus comes 
forth with the zeal of the Lord kindled in his 
heart, and with his whole soul intent on serving 
God. 

So ardently burns the sacred flame in the bosom 
of the newly professed that a love of things 
eternal and divine consumes him, and to live still 
bound by earthly ties and necessities, becomes a 
grievous burden. The life hidden in Christ, of 
which St. Paul speaks, is made the ruling desire of 


56 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


his soul ; it promises to be the only sphere in 
which he may freely breathe forth his chaste af- 
fections and unbosom himself to his God in 
raptures of fervent devotion. 

In consequence of his natural temperament, no 
less than from his ascetic routine of life, Alphon- 
sus developed a strong inclination to recollec- 
tion and solitude, wherein, unknown to the world, 
he loved to conform himself to austere observance 
and habits of self-denial. These were the dark 
and sombre tints with which the character of 
Blessed Alphonsus was now colored; and admir- 
ably blending with the affable sweetness of his 
disposition, they became a prominent feature of 
his holiness without eclipsing the sunshine of his 
innate gentleness of nature. In all the practices of 
the youthful religious there were revealed such 
evidences of self-denial and vigor of purpose as 
seemed to give abundant warrant of the high de- 
gree of virture which he was destined to attain. 

The actual condition in which the newly pro- 
fessed now found himself, was seized upon by him 
as a favorable opportunity to subdue whatever feel- 
ings of vanity chanced to survive the ordeal 
of his novitiate. The young man of splendid tal- 
ents and attainments, whose home had been one 
of elegance and refinement, is assigned to such 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 57 

duties as the world calls servile. Alphonsus, true 
to his vocation, felt no humiliation in passing from 
the royal halls of his ancestors to the convent, 
kitchen and infirmary, where, in serving the needs 
of the community and in attendance upon the 
aged and helpless brethren, he exercised the vir- 
tues of charity and obedience. 

Nor was his zeal satiated by the fulfilment 
of these ordinary practices, which are incumbent 
by rule on all of his class. Besides the usual fasts 
prescribed by his order for the general observance 
of the religious, Alphonsus subjected himself to 
various private and severe penances with which 
his devotion was satisfied, and at the same time 
was accomplished his purpose of suffering for 
the sake of his dearly loved Saviour. His extra- 
ordinary abstinence savored of the miraculous. 
During these early years of his life, at an age 
when vigorous manhood is rarely developed, and 
while also exercised as a scholastic in prayer and 
study he took no other food than a daily allow- 
ance of one half a pound of bread and a little 
wine, about one quarter of the quanity, which, 
from the custom of the country, was considered a 
reasonable accompaniment of each meal. Though 
weak and emaciated, the little strength remaining 
was freely exercised in applying the scourge 


58 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


rather to the bones of his body, than to the dry 
sapless flesh which covered them. Yet withal, 
Alphonsus was foremost in undertaking the 
laborious exercises of the community, without ever 
seeking exemption from even the most fatigu- 
ing duties, or manifesting towards them the least 
repugnance or dislike. Were it not for the happi- 
ness so unmistakably depicted on his countenance, 
and which rising from the depths of his sweet and 
contented soul diffused joy on every side, his 
superior could not but have commanded him to 
restrain himself and abate the fervor of his glow- 
ing heart. 

In performing, by turns, the holy occupation of 
study and mortification, Alphonsus continued his 
interrupted career with hopes centred on the 
dignity of the holy priesthood. It is well known, 
that, during the term of the novitiate, the greater 
portion, if not all the time of the novice is spent 
in the study of the rules and in acquiring a facility 
for the religious practices of the community. Thus 
do the masters of religious life seek to destroy the 
false value attached to perishable riches, by kind- 
ling to life in the bosom of the young apprentice 
an ardent desire of acquiring those treasures of 
which he cannot be plundered, and of enriching 
himself with such blessings as endure forever. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 59 

The chief study in this holy retreat is to over- 
come distraction of which the practice of silence 
and meditation is made the destroying agent ; for 
those are the twin forces which collect the stray 
thoughts of the mind, and engross the affections 
of the heart. Living thus secluded a man learns 
to be circumspect and guarded, being always 
swayed by the approved counsels of reason, and 
not deluded by the fatal errors engendered by 
passion. 

Through this school of discipline, Alphonsus 
had already passed ; the wholesome effect of which 
was clearly apparent in the influence it exerted on 
his character. The hesitating and timid novice 
became a professed scholastic of decided thought 
and mature judgment. The dreamy aspirations 
of his fervent soul are crystalized into solid piety, 
upon whose firm basis he now labors to raise that 
lofty structure of learning which befits a minister 
of God, whose future is to labor for the salvation 
of souls. 

When could he more opportunely, or with bet- 
ter results consecrate himself to study, than dur- 
ing those years immediately succeeding his profes- 
sion ? Then was it enjoined upon him by obedi- 
ence, which lent to the pursuit of learning a feat- 
ure of sanctity, and made application to study 


60 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


little else than a continual exercise in the love of 
God. Free from trouble and care, a stranger to the 
stings of remorse, undisturbed by such avocations 
as distract and annoy, Alphonsus found abundant 
opportunities at his disposal which he used to 
their best advantage in adding to his store of 
knowledge. Moreover he enjoyed the good for- 
tune of already possessing a thorough understand- 
ing of his preliminary studies before donning the 
religious habit and was in consequence qualified 
to enter the realms of scholasticism at an age 
when his mind was most plastic, and by nature, 
best suited to assimilate the advanced teachings 
of experienced masters. No thorns of worldly 
avocations beset the enviable path which our an- 
gelic youth was permitted to walk with tranquil 
step, while his whole mind was absorbed in books 
and his spirit animated by prayer. The occasional 
relaxing of his energies in sweet and innocent 
recreations refreshed his mental and bodily powers 
without leaving in their wake that bitterness of 
regret which is the enduring penalty for indulgent 
folly and excess. 

It is unnecessary to say more regarding the man- 
ner in which Blessed Alphonsus spent the interval 
before his ordination in completing his ecclesias- 
tical studies and in fitting himself by acts of virtue 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 61 

and self-denial for the exercise of the holy minis- 
try. As Mabillon observes: “A religious, who is 
not deficient in natural endowments, should from 
force of circumstances excel in learning.” No 
statistics are now extant to record the particular 
studies which occupied these years of Alphonsus, al- 
though we are warranted in believing they were in 
keeping with the vocation of the young neophyte. 
The honors with which he acquitted himself must 
be judged from the external evidences which his 
proficiency in after years presented. Were the 
registers of Salamanca University extant, their 
perusal would shed light upon this subject, and 
doubtless reflect credit upon our Blessed Orozco. 
However, Father Rajas, a biographer of Alphon- 
sus, speaking of his profession, concludes by as- 
serting that he studied logic, physics, metaphysics 
and theology in Salamanca. 

Surely these higher studies following this course 
of law, which he had concluded previous to tak- 
ing the religious habit, must necessarily have ter- 
minated in a very brilliant literary career. His 
success we can rightly estimate from the luminous 
proofs found in his many writings, whose pages 
also teem with evident traces of a familiar knowl- 
edge of the sacred scriptures, a study to which 
natural affection led him. From this source, it is 


62 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


obvious that he had an unvarying attachment to 
the Word of God, and found his chief delight in 
expounding its holy truths to the faithful. Like 
his great Father and prototype, St. Thomas of Vil- 
lanova, for whom he ever cherished a childlike af- 
fection and devotion, the various treasures that he 
penned are little else than a continued exposition 
or application of the Divine authority bearing 
upon the subject considered. This, too, is in 
strict harmony with the tradition of the convent 
in which he resided, for the Augustinians were 
credited with contributing much towards main- 
taining a high standard of scriptural exegesis in 
the University of Salamanca. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


63 


CHAPTER VIII. 

ALPHONSUS ELEVATED TO THE PRIESTHOOD. HIS 
REVERENCE FOR ITS SACRED DUTIES. 

At length the sweet dream of a pious mother 
was realized ; the prophecy of the Queen of Angels 
had seen its fulfilment. The Blessed Alphonsus, 
during the few years succeeding his profession, 
had made very rapid progress in his theological 
studies, and had become remarkably proficient in 
virtue. He thus at once acquired knowledge and 
sanctity, those two beautiful wings of the soul, on 
which the young neophyte, while aspiring to the 
exalted dignity of the priesthood, soars in spirit 
to a region of thought where earthly hopes are 
least esteemed. Marquez, the first biographer of 
Blessed Alphonsus, alludes to this epoch of his life 
in the following words : “ All who had any re- 
lations with Alphonsus at this time were greatly 
edified to see him so absorbed in thoughts upon 
God, so forgetful of every enjoyment and bodily 
pleasure, that he seemed unhampered by the ties 
of sinful nature in his sweet and unbroken union 
with his Maker. As he was destined to be cham- 
pion of the Queen of Angels, having well advanced 


64 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


in study, and served for some years in those duties 
usually assigned to the newly professed brethren, 
it was judged to the interest of religion, to pro- 
mote him to the dignity of the priesthood.” 

Perhaps in these days of indifference and for- 
getfulness of divine things, it will not be out of 
place to stay our thoughts for a moment, on the 
excellence of the sacerdotal dignity. Christian 
reader, in whose soul shines resplendent the light 
of faith, God is the most excellent and admirable 
Being whom you can conceive or imagine. “ The 
priest, by reason of his consecration, is his vice- 
gerent on earth. He is the Angel of the Lord of 
Hosts, and his office is the highest on earth; his 
dignity exceeds that of cherubim and seraphim,” 
writes our learned and Blessed Father Orozco. 

The saints themselves, pondering on the nature 
of the priestly duties and the sacred character of 
the ministry, trembled on being invested with such 
sublime power and tremendous responsibility. To 
be anointed priest, they deemed an honor beyond 
measure, and something more to be esteemed than 
the office of kings. The people’s loyalty to God 
may always be measured by the respect in which 
they hold His ministers, for the priesthood is the 
divine legacy of our Redeemer bequeathed to the 
Apostles, and its functions they, and their succes- 


ALPHOKSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


65 


sors, have continually exercised for the world’s 
betterment. Reverence for this sacred office, 
whether coming from the priest himself, or from 
the people at large, is an undeniable exponent of 
the faith which animates the soul; and the 
anointed minister of God, if imbued with a true 
sense of his calling, must ever revere the un- 
stinted homage of Christian hearts as his greatest 
earthly recompense. Wealth cannot enhance the 
sacred character of that priesthood, which, in the 
midst of direst persecutions, proved its heroic self- 
sacrifice and shone before the world in all ages 
with undiminished splendor. May Catholics never, 
in an evil hour, do aught by word or deed to gain- 
say the honor due to those, who, like Aaron of 
old, are called to minister at God’s altar. Let the 
adherents of humanitarianism find fruition in their 
materialistic theology, although under the fire of 
unceasing opposition, their creed has been leveled 
to the dust. Ah! children of the world, go; dig 
to the very heart of the globe, in your search for 
the treasured metals ; caress the worm when you 
see it clothed with rich silk. But we who live b} r 
faith, though sharing the substance of this life 
which you vainly deify, are animated with an un- 
dying hope of possessing after a short struggle, 
an imperishable crown. To God alone who is the 
5 


66 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


author and end of our being belongs the homage 
of supreme adoration : the priests whom He has 
deputed ministers of grace impersonate the ideal 
principles of our belief. Let us then not disdain 
to go in the company of those, who, poor in the 
world’s goods, are rich and truly noble by reason 
of their merits and the cleanliness of their souls. 

Rich, and of illustrious descent were the parents 
of Alphonsus Orozco, and they cheerfully offered 
him to the service of the Virgin Mother of God. 
Great, too, was the happiness which now pos- 
sessed them on finding that the Queen of Heaven 
had deigned to accept the gift of their fond affec- 
tion. The Church has wisely disposed, that the 
candidates who seek to minister at her altar, shall 
mount to this dignity, after passing through vari- 
ous grades, at stated intervals. By these steps, 
Alphonsus, a professed religious of the Order of 
St. Augustine, ascended with the ardor of his 
affection intensified according as he drew nearer 
the Sacrament of Love, till at length he was em- 
powered, by the Holy Ghost, to offer in sacrifice 
the Holy of Holies. 

The devotion and happiness of soul, with which 
he celebrated his first Mass can be readily conjec- 
tured from the evident zeal, with which he pre- 
pared himself for the holy ministry. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


67 


In the third book of his Confessions, Alphonsus 
thus speaks of this, the happiest event of his life. 
“ By Thy will, O Lord, at the hands of my pre- 
lates, I was raised to the priesthood ; a state so 
lofty that the heavenly spirits stand in awe on 
viewing mortal men possess a power so wonder- 
ful as to consecrate Thy Most Holy Body and 
Blood, and to receive into their breasts that 
which the world cannot contain. O God, let 
shine in my heart the light of faith, that, seeing 
in these hands their Creator and Redeemer, I may 
not remain unmoved, and, in the midst of such 
flames of love, be myself fired to love so gener- 
ous a Lord. Oh! Manna that contains every 
taste of every food ! more sweet than the honey 
and the honeycomb, of which the Spouse of the 
canticles had spoken : ‘ I have eaten the honey- 
comb with my honey.’ I return unceasing thanks 
to Thy mercy for so great a dignity.” In his 
thanksgivings after mass, Father Orozco, as our 
Blessed was familiarly known, was accustomed to 
ask himself in the words of the Psalmist: 
“ What shall I render to the Lord for all that He 
hath rendered me? I will take the chalice of 
salvation ; and I will call upon the name of the 
Lord.” — 115 Psalm, 12-13. It was now his privi- 
lege daily, to take the chalice of his salvation and 


68 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


call upon the name of God. Scarcely had the 
morning’s dawn appeared, when the interior fire 
impelled him to forsake his poor and mortified 
couch, and repair without delay to the chapel 
witli one idea in mind — the thought of his be- 
loved ; and with one concern at heart, his love for 
the Holy Eucharist. His reflections were a con- 
stant study of the best possible preparation to 
receive worthily the Divine Lamb. On his way 
to the sacristy, he recited the penitential psalms, 
and was accustomed to purify his soul daily in 
the sacrament of penance, while he shed tears of 
compunction at the thought of his trivial imper- 
fections, which his sensitive conscience seemed to 
magnify. He usually spent one hour in offering 
the sacrifice of the Mass.* At times he remained 
ecstatic in contemplation of the ineffable Sacra- 
ment of the Altar ; again it was found necessary 
for the assistant to remind him, by a touch of his 
chasuble, to continue the tremendous mystery 
of our faith. Even this gentle reminder, at 
times, failed to withdraw him from ecstasy ; then 
those about, breaking forth in tears of ten- 
der devotion on witnessing the saint all absorbed 

* His biographers, it is true, mention this circumstance in 
reference to Blessed Alphonsus when advanced in years, hut 
they were careful to attribute it to no infirmity, but to the 
fervor of his devotion. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


in celestial love, would leave him to delight to his 
heart’s content in God’s presence and bounties. 

After receiving into his bosom the Manna of 
his heart’s yearnings, Alphonsus was wont to be- 
seech the Lord not to deprive him, if living on 
the following day, of the sweetness experienced 
in receiving the sacrament of the Real Presence. 
The following was our Blessed’s usual expression 
in begging this favor: “Grant, my Lord, that 
from this day forward I may be an accepted guest 
at Thy holy Altar.” Yes, was the welcome an- 
swer of ineffable delight which echoed in the very 
depths of his soul, and buoyed up with this hope, 
he withdrew from the altar-step in raptures of 
consoling happiness to make a long and fervent 
thanksgiving. The memory of the blessing, 
vouchsafed him in the morning, the promise of its 
being repeated on the following day, remained an 
abiding subject of constant thought for Father 
Orozco. Not even when ill, and threatened with 
fever did he cease offering daily the sacrifice of 
the Mass. The physicians, in their efforts to pre- 
vent him from leaving his bed to discharge this 
holy duty, cited Galen and other medical mas- 
ters, in evidence of the danger to which he was 
exposing himself. “ Heathen witnesses; ” replied 
the Blessed, “ had they tasted the riches of this 


70 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Sacrament, they would not have prohibited it. 
God does not work injury to any man.” 

Alphonsus, as a recently ordained priest, exer- 
cised a continual watchfulness over idle words, 
frankly confessing that they were a source of great 
distraction to him, who wished to preserve in his 
heart a retreat for his beloved Jesus in the Blessed 
Eucharist. Frequently during the day and the 
night, he communicated spiritually, as a means of 
preserving this fervent recollection of mind upon 
the mysteries of the ever Adorable Sacrament. 
Though exempt, by rule, from attending choir for 
reasons that appear later, our Blessed Father 
Orozco, even in his advanced years, always en- 
deavored to be present with the community at the 
recitation of the divine office. He thus found an 
opportunity to pray before the Blessed Sacrament 
according to the strains of piety, which the sacred 
words of the office inspired, while he also felt that 
devotions practiced in common were more availing 
than prayers said in private. During these delight- 
ful moments, in which he unbosomed himself be- 
fore his Sacramental Lord, the' happiness of our 
Blessed Alphonsus was intensified on seeing others 
also joining in devout adoration, just as he heartily 
lamented the irreverence of the many, who thought- 
lessly pass before the Lord without so much as 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


71 


bending a knee in token of adoring homage. The 
good priest, alive to the indignities which Jesus 
suffered in the sacrament of his love, was often 
heard to exclaim : “ With what countenance should 
they who neglect to honor our Lord in the Holy 
Eucharist recite the verse : ‘ Visit us, O Lord, ac- 
cording as we have worshipped Thee.’ ” 

It is well known that masters of the spiritual 
life have not always been of one accord in their 
teaching and practice, regarding the spiritual ad- 
vantage derived from very frequent communions. 
St. Bonaventure was not less fervent, nor less ar- 
dent in his desires to receive his Lord, because, out 
of respect for this sacrament, he approached the 
altar only at considerable intervals of time. St. 
Catharine of Sienna communicated every day as 
the means to withstand the buffets of her detract- 
ors. Later, in conformity with the doctrine of St. 
Francis of Sales and Alphonsus Liguori, we are 
urged to a frequent reception of Holy Eucharist 
but always to be guided by the advice of our di- 
rector. This, too, is the doctrine of our Blessed 
Father Alphonsus : “ The soul is surely not of less 
esteem than the body, but rather deserving of far 
greater care ; but if a table be prepared so many 
times for our bodily needs, by what reason do we 
deny the soul its food at least once a day, lest in 


72 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


its hunger it should faint from weakness and fall 
into sin.”* The various festivals and fasts in 
honor of the Blessed Eucharist, which obtained 
with the Church’s sanction in the days of Father 
Orozco, were held by him in special reverence. 
His devotion to our Lord in this holy Sacrament 
was phenomenal ; his very heart-strings seemed 
twined about the Holy of Holies that dwells upon 
our altars. His thoughts were all absorbed in this 
mystery of love. The writings of our Blessed 
Father attest the living zeal which consumed his 
whole being whenever he treats of the Most Adora- 
ble Sacrament. His aspirations to Jesus in the 
Holy Eucharist are like flashes of love emitted by 
an enamored seraph. Innumerable were the favors 
which he received through the efficacy of his devo- 
tion at the Mass. Whenever a subject of import- 
ance was referred to his decision, our Saint always 
resorted to prayer to obtain light, and finally com- 
pleted his study by offering the Holy Sacrifice. 
On these occasions, after the consecration, he ut- 
tered deep sighs and groans, as a signal of the mo- 
ment when God’s presence was upon the altar, and 
then he redoubled his prayers to obtain what he 

* Blessed Alphonsus here urges the importance of daily spir- 
itual communions for all, and recommends the actual reception 
of the Blessed Eucharist as a daily practice for those only who 
have already attained to an eminent degree of sanctity. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


73 


supplicated. In this manner, Blessed Orozco 
wrought many miracles of wonder. The dead he 
brought back to life ; souls disembodied appeared 
to his mortal vision ; and the infirm were restored 
to health. Various other miracles that he per- 
formed, which were attributed to his intercession 
before the Blessed Sacrament, are well authenti- 
cated and deserve mention, but being associated 
with his later years, we will defer their narration 
to a future chapter. The Mass was his natural 
refuge ; his devotion to it enlivened all the actions 
of his long and eventful life. But above all the 
singular favors of which Father Orozco was made 
the recipient, he dearly prized the peace and com- 
fort which were drawn from the Altar, and which 
sweetened the bitterness of his many trials and dif- 
ficulties. 


74 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER IX. 

TEMPTATIONS AND SCRUPLES THAT TORMENTED 
BLESSED ALPHONSUS. ( 1522 - 1551 .) 

Not less wonderful is the mercy than the power 
of God, who extracts from the abasement and hu- 
miliations of our souls sterling virtue of an heroic 
degree. It is a law full of mysterious import, and 
founded on the merits of our Redemption, that no 
man shall glory save in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
who is the source of our strength.* Following 
this fixed principle, that which we admire as 
splendid and sublime in creatures, springs from 
the very abyss of nothingness. The strongest 
fortress of creation was built in a single day upon 
the weak and vacillating Peter. Saul, the perse- 
cutor of Christians, through a like mysterious 
operation, is made an apostle of pre-eminence and 
a vessel of election ; while Augustine buffeting 
the sea of error, is caught up in the flood tide of 
saving grace, and borne aloft, the foremost doctor 
of the Church. 

Who is not moved to pity, on hearing St. Teresa 
* St. Paul. 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 75 

recount the aridity which her extremely sensitive 
soul suffered while she hovered at the entrance of 
her oratory, like an unemotional sentinel, unable 
to harbor a devout thought, or utter even a fer- 
vent ejaculation in prayer? “ Dark is that night,” 
says St. John of the Cross, “ through which the 
tried friends of God must pass.” Behold the gen- 
tle Francis of Sales, consumed with mortal dread 
and reduced to the very semblance of a corpse, 
because the devil had persuaded him that his 
troubled soul, beyond all hope, was doomed to 
eternal loss. Again look at St. Alphonsus Li- 
guori, the indefatigable missionary, who accom- 
plished the work of a thousand priests, who was 
also founder of the Redemptorists — a congrega- 
tion that reflects the prudence of its holy patron. 
He, a Doctor of Laws when only seventeen years 
of age, the oracle of his time, the writer of a hun- 
dred spiritual treatises, was the one chosen by God 
as a safe guide in the intricacies of moral theol- 
ogy. Yet, towards the end of his mortal career, 
when laden with merits, the Lord saw fit to prove 
his worth and enhance his reward, by allowing 
him to be harassed for two whole years by con- 
tinual scruples and anxieties. This devout client 
of the Mother of God and true shepherd of 
Christ's fold, when, bent with the weight of four- 


76 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


score years, tremulously approaches Holy Com- 
munion with pectoral cross upon his breast and 
stole about his neck, and when nearing the altar, 
retraces his steps crying out : “ Perhaps this is a 

mortal sin.” Meanwhile, it was necessary for the 
priest, while holding the consecrated Host aloft, 
to encourage the saint by saying : “ Monseigneur, 
do not falter in confidence, Jesus Christ awaits 
your welcome.” 

It pleases God at times, to remind us sensibly 
of our nothingness, and, after convincing us of 
this unpleasant truth, to cause the light of his 
grace to illumine the chaos of our understanding. 
To this end, nothing conduces more directly than 
the torment of scruples. Like a bird in a snare, 
the mind is entangled in thoughts foreboding 
dread fatalities, and all efforts to disengage itself, 
only tighten the more the wary huntsman’s knot. 
While in this deplorable condition, the intellect 
has perhaps lost none of its innate acumen, and 
its judgment and theories in the government of 
others, may manifest the greatest prudence ; but 
the unhappy victim of this spiritual malady seems 
dazed in reference to all matters of self-direction, 
and after vainly exhausting his best energies, fi- 
nally yields to ridiculous and extravagant sugges- 
tions. Thus does our pride reveal its own folly : 


ALPH0NSU8 OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 77 

in this deplorable state our words and actions be- 
speak the fool or simpleton; even the understand- 
ing that remains is a questionable blessing, for, 
like a light that eclipses its own brightness, it 
were perhaps as well extinguished. 

But what shall we say when horrible tempta- 
tions against faith combine with scruples ; when 
loathsome blasphemy and base imprecations con- 
stantly echo in the hearing of one, who is never- 
theless innocent and spotless of soul? Truly are 
those monstrous fantasies a source of constant liv- 
ing martyrdom ; while haunting the imagination 
they stalk forth like grim spectres to mock the ef- 
forts of him who yearns above all to possess a 
clean heart. 

Spiritual writers teach, that scruples result from 
one or other of the three following causes : from 
the timidity and indecision innate to some 
characters ; from the temptations of the devil, or 
lastly, from the hand of the Lord who permits this 
affliction for his own wise ends. In every one of 
these three cases, if the suffering be prolonged and 
aid does not come from on High, whence alone is 
found the remedy, the tempest rages with unceasing 
violence. Whoever has had any experience of this 
in himself or others, and knowing how greatly it 
burdens the head, wearies the mind and oppresses 


78 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


the heart, must conclude that even madness, or 
speedy death would be a welcomed termination to 
so grievous an agony. Not the least sad reflection 
which harasses those so afflicted, but who still love 
God, is the persuasion that they are forever denied 
the privilege of seeing Him who is the source of 
all beauty. 

Our own Father Orozco, in a letter to a person 
afflicted with scruples, speaks upon the subject in 
the following manner: “ This is a kind of life which 
no words can describe ; it is a constant torment 
which allows of no repose ; a worm which seems 
to gnaw at our very vitals, leaving no opportunity 
for repose, either in eating, sleeping or praying. 
As the happiness of a good conscience is reflected 
in a peaceful countenance, so also, the worriment 
and continual war occasioned by scruples weaken 
our strength and consume our life.” 

In the second book of his Confessions, the 
Blessed speaks of the same affliction in reference 
to himself: “How noble seems the soul created 
to the image and likeness of God when we com- 
pare it to the gross, ungainly clod of earth, which 
constitutes the body. Accordingly, the more spir- 
itual the temptations are, the more dangerous 
they become, and also the more grievously are 
they felt. Miseries that beset the body are like a 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


79 


breach in the city’s ramparts, which allow access 
from without the walls ; but temptations of the 
spirit wound from within and injure the vital ele- 
ments of life ; they are the evils which interiorly 
prevail and so grievously disturb us. O Saviour 
of the world, how can words make known that 
turbulent conflict which my soul suffered for 
nearly thirty years ? What blasphemies did not 
satan, that father of lies, in howling tones echo in 
my hearing ! St. Peter says that 4 the devil goes 
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may 
devour.’ Hell’s deepest pit is the stomach of this 
ravenous adversary of ours into which he seeks to 
drag us. The Apostle says he goes about, be- 
cause, like the evil ones who are prOne to follow so 
wicked a monster, the straightforward course is 
never adopted or pursued. He howls without 
moving onward like a dog chained, for Thou, my 
Redeemer, in dying on the cross for our redemp- 
tion, didst conquer and subdue him. Since then 
this foe of our salvation can do nothing save 
roar, unless the miserable sinner, of his own ac- 
cord, approaches too near the domain of the prison 
house. What else but the howls of this mad 
lion, was every temptation against holy faith with 
which my soul was unceasingly agitated night 
and day ! I could not taste a morsel of food 


80 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


without scruples nor, though thirsty, drink a little 
water.” 

Not without reason is it believed that Blessed 
Alphonsus had himself in view when he wrote as 
follows : “ I have known a certain person timor- 
ous in the service of God, whose life was little else 
than a martyrdom for a term of twenty years. 
Many times fears and scruples caused him to fall 
prostrate, being deprived of almost all sensibility. 
But by the goodness of our God, there came in 
the wake of this affliction, such sweet repose and 
so great peace of mind, that now he unites with 
David in singing the canticle of thanksgiving to 
the Lord, saying : 4 My God, Thou hast broken 
my bonds: I* will sacrifice to Thee the sacrifice 
of praise.’ ” — Psalm 115. 

The anguish which Alphonsus experienced, 
came, beyond doubt, from the hand of God, who, 
for wise ends, chose thus to afflict the soul of his 
servant. Particularly at confession and Holy 
Communion, when the scrupulous person of ordi- 
nary type suffers the most, -were occasions that 
his torments were mitigated, or else entirely re- 
moved. During these precious moments in which 
he knelt at the tribunal of Penance, or stood at 
the Altar offering the Blood of Jesus Christ for 
the sins of the world, Father Orozco never failed 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 81 

to experience a foretaste of that happiness which 
he was destined to enjoy later when the worriment 
of scruples had entirely ceased. 

This irresistible storm of worriment and temp- 
tations which began in the novitiate when he was 
twenty-two years of age, continued to assail 
Blessed Alphonsus with relentless fury, for the 
thirty succeeding years of his life. It remains as 
the subject of a future chapter to record the al- 
most miraculous termination of this tempest which 
had so long chilled the ardor of his pure soul, but 
which left him at length in undisturbed possession 
of a sweet and lasting peace. Meanwhile, let us 
not forget, according as we are made acquainted 
with the life of this blessed servant of God, that, 
apart from all the miseries which he endured, the 
anxiety and dread caused by scruples, quelled the 
voice of an approving conscience and robbed him 
of that tranquility which the patient sufferer in 
the cause of righteousness, might reasonably feel. 
This history will also unfold the manner in which 
God sometimes purifies a young and loving heart 
in the crucible of an experience truly anguishing. 


6 


82 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER X. 

ALPHONSUS IS ASSIGNED BY HIS SUPERIORS TO 
THE OFFICE OF PREACHER. 

The zealous young priest is now called from se- 
clusion to reflect upon the world the splendor of 
his brilliant attainments in the exercise of apos- 
tolic labors. His order bestows upon him the 
title of preacher, and the faithful discharge of its 
functions, becomes his chief occupation. Already 
had Father Orozco admirably acquitted himself of 
the duties of a professor, but the saints, as a rule, 
prefer to teach the lessons of the Gospel, rather 
than expound the principles of the master of sen- 
tences. They love to envelope the souls of their 
brethren in the fire of charity with whose flames 
they themselves are already consumed. 

In Alphonsus, moreover, blended harmoniously 
rare gifts of nature and grace, by which he was 
eminently fitted to expound the word of God, for 
his was a character formed in a gentle mould ; 
one chastened by habits of spotless purity and 
strengthened b} r knowledge and profound study. 

For the good religious, obedience is the voice 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 83 

of God, Whom to obey is liberty indeed, and 
Father Orozco accordingly ascended the pulpit 
without hesitation, though his confidence was 
inspired more by a childlike reverence for his 
superior’s command, than from any persuasion 
that he was thus entering upon his destined sphere 
of usefulness. Let our readers now contemplate 
the saint, all engrossed in his efforts to acquit him- 
self successfully of the first sacerdotal charge 
which his superiors had committed to him. He 
recalls to mind the fervent eloquence of St. John 
of Sahagun, that angel of peace, whose memory 
the faithful of Salamanca held in benediction, 
and whose remains were venerated in the Augus- 
tinian Convent of that city. To the tomb of this 
man of God, who had exercised the office of 
preacher in the century preceding, Alphonsus 
goes as Eliseus of old went to Elias, begging to 
be replenished with the Spirit to move the hearts 
of sinners, and light therein the divine flame of 
charity. Then re-echoed in the ears of the youth- 
ful preacher, the soul-stirring words of St. 
Thomas of Villanova in his sermon on the Psalm — 
“ In exitu Israel — ” which had occasioned his own 
vocation to the cloister. Kneeling at the relics 
of his saintly brethren, Father Orozco, diffident 
of his own worth, humbly besought of God, 


84 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


through the intercession of St. John, the grace 
never by word or act to mar the glorious record 
of those truly apostolic preachers who had gone 
before him, and whose fame had lent renown to 
his convent and made its church revered by the 
faithful of the city. The young preacher was 
firmly persuaded of the truth contained in these 
words of our holy Father St. Augustine: “As 
study proposes doubts, prayer is the sure means 
to resolve them into convincing certainties.” In 
his writings, we are assured that he always began 
his sermon, relying more on the prayer which he 
fervently breathed at the foot of the Crucifix, 
than on exhaustive study and extensive research, 
which, however, he never neglected to make. 

Our Redeemer, he says, gives assurance to 
preachers, that His doctrine is so holy and con- 
vincing, that even the little ones can comprehend 
its meaning and bear witness to its truth. A 
promise which could be easily realized, did the 
expounders of the Sacred Text double their 
allotted time for prayer and contemplation, in- 
stead of trusting too much to that preparation 
which comes from study and reading. As our 
father, St. Augustine, says : “ Prayer is the key 
that unlocks the treasure-house and reveals the 
secrets which the Holy Spirit wishes to impart to 


ALPIIONS US OROZCO , 0. S. A. 85 

us during the perusal of books.” I do not pre- 
sume in the least, to make my opinions a law for 
my fellow-laborers, but if there be anyone among 
them who values sincere advice, let him imitate 
that peerless preacher and vessel of election, St. 
Paul, who, in all his themes, preached Christ 
Jesus and Him Crucified. From prayer, then, 
which was the fountain of his eloquence and 
unction, Father Orozco drew forth the language of 
unmistakable truth, full of life and passion, by 
which he mastered the intellect and heart of his 
auditors. 

As events proved later, preaching was the chief 
mission for which God had destined Blessed Al- 
phonsus. In his Confessions, he declares that, like 
another Paul, “he had received from the Lord the 
ministry of the word to testify the Gospel to the 
faithful.” The early efforts of Father Orozco, 
while attached to his convent in Salamanca, were 
an auspicious beginning foreshadowing the pres- 
tige, which later, as Royal Preacher to Philip II., 
he was destined to win before the Court of Spain. 
There are extant four volumes of these first ser- 
mons which he delivered during his stay in the 
city of Salamanca. Of these some are written in 
Spanish, others in Latin, but all are models of 
diction and are lasting evidence of the Saint’s 


86 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


proficiency in the language, not only of his 
country, but also of his Church. 

His sermons, reflecting the character of his soul, 
were usually replete with mildness, gentleness and 
charity, and were intended to excite the combined 
motives of love and fear of God. With an inde- 
scribable sweetness, Father Orozco would dilate on 
those subjects of our holy religion which w r ere es- 
pecially calculated to cheer a faint heart, ventur- 
ing, however, with extreme caution, upon themes 
which tend to excite little else than abject fear. 
In defence of this practice, he was accustomed to 
say that man, being a free agent, must necessarily 
conform himself to the law of God with sentiments 
of affection and from conviction of soul. To this 
end, he discoursed usually upon truths, which at 
once interest and captivate the attention of his 
listeners, remembering that St. Augustine, in this 
manner, had reconciled two cities whose rival fac- 
tions had fostered the growth of bitter feuds. 

The Lord inspires some holy men, as exempli- 
fied in the prophets, to announce to his faithful the 
threats of divine vengeance, while others, he sends 
as messengers of peace and precursors of the king- 
dom of grace. To Father Orozco, it seemed meet 
to preach to the world the love and beauty of the 
God Incarnate, who died for mankind. Those who 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 87 

had the happiness of hearing him, assure us, that 
very perverse indeed, must have been any who were 
not moved by his tender entreaties ; for he pos- 
sessed that singular grace and persuasive gentle- 
ness, which acted like fetters of gold to enslave the 
soul.* Through the irresistible force of his elo- 
quence, and the lively ardor of his affection, the 
young and zealous Augustinian accomplished in 
the reformation of sinful lives, results truly as- 
tounding. They only, to whom iniquity was a de 
light, seemed insensible to his persuasion ; but, 
wherever lingered the faintest desire to amend, his 
words of gentleness carried a fire which kindled 
the flickering hopes of amendment into ardent, 
earnest endeavors. 

Though gifted to a rare degree, Father Orozco 
was not too sanguine of the success which should 
attend his efforts in the pulpit. Like a true 
apostle, to whom is ever present the thought of 
the difficulties to be met in overcoming evil, he felt 
that his indefatigable labors were amply rewarded, 
did they result in bringing back to the fold of the 
Divine Shepherd, even one stray sheep. “ Grant, 
my Jesus, that in all the years we have preached 
Thy saving truths, we may be able at the last day 
to present before the throne of God at least one 
* Father Marquez in his life of Blessed Alphonsus. 


88 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


soul, as the fruit of our labors.”* Nor was this 
humble orator of rising fame misled by popular 
praise into the fatal delusion of using his eloquence 
only before select gatherings. His pleasure seemed 
greatest when he was privileged to speak before an 
audience, composed of the poor and uncultured. 
Then did he exercise his talents in every conceiva- 
ble manner, which the ingenious resources of char- 
ity could devise, to clothe in simple language, the 
salient truths of our holy faith. 

He loved to recall the fact that the Apostles 
preached in the presence of only one or two per- 
sons ; particularly was this the case with John the 
Baptist, on the shores of the Jordan ; while twelve 
only were present when our Saviour pronounced 
the famous ’sermon of the beatitudes; and, more 
than all else, Jesus himself deigned to tarry at 
Jacob’s well to preach to the Samaritan woman, 
who indeed was no princess, but only a poor ser- 
vant woman carrying a water-pitcher. 

Never did Father Orozco forget the claims which 
the poor had upon him by reason of his profession. 
After the example of Jesus, he had voluntarily 
chosen poverty as his portion on earth, and it was 
his chief delight to reconcile the poor to their 
meagre inheritance. If God had imparted to him 

* Letters of Blessed Alplionsus to a preacher. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 89 

the power of moving men to virtue, his efforts were 
not confined to those in high places. When the 
recipient of royal honors, when dignified with the 
title of Preacher to Philip II., though his mission 
required attendance upon the court of Spain and 
its nobility, yet in his charity, Father Orozco nev- 
ertheless, found time and opportunities to befriend 
the needy and miserable. 


90 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XT. 

BLESSED FATHER OROZCO, O. S. A., REMOVED TO 
THE CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF GRACE. HIS 
ILLNESS. ON RECOVERY IS APPOINTED PRIOR 
IN THE CITY OF SORIA. HIS RETURN TO OUR 
LADY OF GRACE, AS SUPERIOR. ( 1530 - 1537 .) 

In virtue of obedience our Blessed Father Al- 
phonsus must now take leave of that nursery of 
sanctity, the Convent of Salamanca. Those hal- 
lowed walls which had witnessed his early fervor, 
which had been the dearly loved cradle of his re- 
ligious infancy, shall never again include him 
among the blessed children, who were nurtured 
there. 

Yet fond is the affection that the religious con- 
ceives for the cell bedewed with the first tears of 
his sincere devotion. Here, filled with wonder 
and dread, he contemplates the world in the pan- 
orama of a reality. Here, too, the youthful soul 
listens with attentive ear and returns a generous 
answer to the clear voice of the Lord proclaiming 
His divine will. Poetry’s sweetest numbers have 
been inspired by the affection, that lingers about 
the place in which our eyes first opened to the 
light of nature. In what tender strains then, may 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 91 

we sing of the love that clings about the abode 
where the eyes of the spirit have been miracu- 
lously opened to the light of grace, by whose op- 
eration man is transformed into an angel. Surely 
this is the earthly home, in which the heart finds 
joy above all else to dwell. 

But, as the Apostles forsook the loved coenacu - 
lum or upper chamber of Jerusalem, the retreat 
wherein such numerous prodigies were enacted, and 
the scene of such fond memories, to kindle in men 
the fire which burned in their own bosoms, so also 
is it meet that the religious go forth from retire- 
ment, to diffuse in other localities, the sanctity 
which has been hoarded during the season of rec- 
ollection and solitude proper to his novitiate- 
house. 

In the year 1525, the Augustinians obtained 
a foundation for a new convent in Medina del 
Campo, a town in the province of Valladolid, 
which held considerable distinction at the time 
from the fact that the kings of Spain there held 
court. Father Alphonsus was among those who 
were appointed as the first community to reside in 
this new convent, which was dedicated to Our 
Lady of Grace. The heart of our young religious 
was cheered with the consolation of having, as 
prior of this new home, his former much-esteemed 


92 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


master of novices, Blessed Louis de Montoya. 
During his residence here, Father Orozco’s pa- 
tience was sorely tried by severe bodily infirmi- 
ties, while his soul suffered grievously from the 
assaults of temptations and scruples. The candor 
and simplicity with which he recounts this trying 
experience appear in his Confessions without any 
pretention to embellishment. The plain, unvar- 
nished recital reveals the unselfishness of his 
heart, and the high standard of virtue which Fr. 
Orozco had attained. His pure soul gives expres- 
sion to his sufferings in the following lines : 
“ Here, Omnipotent King, must I render thanks, 
because, when I was a religious of about thirty 
years of age, in our monastery at Medina del 
Campo, so dire an infirmity did I suffer that the 
physicians despaired of my recovery, and so ex- 
treme was my weakness, that scarcely sufficient 
strength remained to move my head. I confess, 
my Lord, of being too ill to raise my arm, and al- 
most welcomed death as my relief. I recollect hav- 
ing so perfect a use of my senses at this time that 
I tried to prove the immortality of the soul from 
a self-evident truth, based on my own experience ; 
for I then realized that, as the weaker grew my 
body, the clearer became my reason, and the more 
thorough was my understanding. While in this 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 93 

condition, I comprehended various passages of the 
Sacred Scripture, whose meaning I had previously 
failed to grasp. But Thou, in Thy wisdom, my 
God, sawest fit to restore me to bodily health; com- 
mencing on the vigil of our great St. Augustine, I 
perceived a notable change for the better, and 
from that time I was convalescent/’ Conf. Book , 
II. 

The exact number of years which Father Orozco 
spent in the Convent of Our Lady of Grace at 
Medina, his biographers do not clearly specify, but 
by inference from statements made in his own 
confessions, and by comparison with other inci- 
dents in his life, it would seem that the first com- 
munity of Augustinians, who settled in the city of 
Medina del Campo, retained in their midst our 
Blessed Alphonsus for, at least, seven years. The 
later and more authentic writers concur in assign- 
ing him to the position of first Superior in the new 
convent established in Soria, a city in the province 
of old Castile, and the establishment of this foun- 
dation occurred about the year 1537. At any 
rate, Father Alphonsus Orozco was returned as 
prior by the Provincial Chapter in 1510 to his 
former convent of Our Lady of Grace. 

At this time, and for some years previous, 
(1527) the Augustinians in Spain were separated 


94 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


into two distinct provinces, known as Andalusia 
and Castile. Of the former, St. Thomas of 
Villanova was provincial. But the growing de- 
mands which the foreign missions, particularly 
those in the Indies, were making upon the parent 
stock in Spain, created an earnest desire on all 
sides to reunite the entire Augustinian body 
under the primitive title of the province of Spain, 
believing, that the combined efforts of all the 
brethren under one central authority at home, 
would be better suited to meet the exigencies of 
the affairs abroad. This, and other reasons being 
assigned as favoring the coalition of the two pro- 
vinces, the Very Rev. Father General of the 
Order, Jerome Seripandus, visited Spain for the 
purpose of conferring with his religious subject 
upon the matter in question. He found the mem- 
bers of the province of Andalusia specially desir- 
ous of uniting with that of Castile, which was re- 
garded as the senior and more influential body. 
Accordingly, he convoked a meeting of represen- 
tative members at Toledo on Sept. 80, 1541. A 
resolution being passed favorable to reunion, the 
Father General issued a call to both provinces for 
a provincial chapter to be held in Duenos, on the 
11th day of November of the same year. In this 
august gathering was present the venerable 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , O. S. A. 95 

Father Orozco as prior of the Convent of Our 
Lacly of Grace in Valladolid. On this occasion 
Blessed Alphonsus was chosen Definitor, one of 
the four counsellors to the local provincial. To 
this dignity he was raised by the suffrages of his 
brethren, being singled out for the honor, among 
so many others of high merit who had grown old 
at the Altar, and were renowned in the pulpit and 
chair, though Alphonsus was comparatively young 
in years and religion. 

In relation to Father Orozco as member of this 
law-making body, and of his judgments in its 
counsels, little of a definite nature can be said ; 
for the Saint himself is singularly reticent in his 
Confessions upon all topics pertaining either to the 
duties or honors of office. Father Marquez, a 
contemporary biographer, is content with merely 
declaring; “the spirit of the Blessed Father was 
embodied in the laws enacted in this chapter, 
which conduced so much to the glory of the 
Lord, and the welfare of the province.” 


96 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XII. 

BLESSED ALPHONSUS IN THE EXERCISE OF AU- 
THORITY. 

His Order now obliges Father Orozco to accept 
the dignity of Superior. His keen sense of 
fitness, combining with a true spirit of religion, 
will not permit him to regard the high posts of 
duty as the opportunity to gratify self-love, nor, 
on the other hand, is he carried to the opposite 
extreme of shunning such honors with proud or 
hypocritical disdain. Alphonsus in his commen- 
tary on the Rule of our holy patriarch, St. Au- 
gustine, discloses his views on the duties of re- 
ligious with reference to the acceptance of office. 
Three motives, he says, exist to induce servants 
of God to assume the responsibilities of prelates. 
The first is when they understand that God calls 
them to that office, and, without seeking or aspir- 
ing to it in any way, its duties are thrust upon 
them. In this manner, our holy Father, St. Au- 
gustine, St. Ambrose and all the Saints, were 
called to exercise authority over subjects ; so 
also spoke St. Paul : “ Neither doth any man take 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


97 


the honor to himself of the priesthood or prelacy, 
but he that is called by God , as Aaron was.” The 
second motive of consent is when necessity, spring- 
ing from the obligations of charity, urges its claim 
as speaks our Holy Father Augustine in his 
“City of God.” The holy leisure found in prayer 
and contemplation is sanctified by charity, but 
there may arise occasions of necessity so depend- 
ing on charity, that the ends of this virtue are 
best served by cheerfully abandoning our chaste, 
secluded retreat to accept other less pleasing, 
but legitimate occupations.* This motive is more 
perfect than the former. Finally, the highest 
consideration of all others to prompt men of God 
to accept prelacies is the virtue of obedience by 
which they are commanded to do violence to their 
own will by the exercise of authority over their 
brethren. Thus, we often see that the religious, 
who first strives to escape positions of trust, finally, 
through obedience, gracefully yields, though the 
burdens of office are naturally repugnant to him. 
From this, it may be clearly seen, that our per- 
fection does not consist in remaining subjects, nor 
in the exercise of menial duties ; but it is obtained 
rather through the mortification of our wills, and 
an utter denial of everything for God’s sake. 

* City of God xix., 19. 


7 


98 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


That virtue, which directs every religious in the 
path of duty, is obedience, whose guidance must 
be followed, whether it conduct him, like a corpse 
to the tomb, or elevate him, like a king, to the 
throne of authority. 

Now let us see, from his own testimonjq how far 
our Blessed Alphonsus corresponded in practice 
with those wise counsels which he has laid down 
for the guidance of others. In the second book of 
his Confessions he speaks as follows : “ Lord, I ren- 
der Thee thanks that Thou didst enable me to gov- 
ern according to holy obedience ; and if, sometimes 
I was loath to be burdened with the responsibility 
of governing my fellow religious, yet in the end I 
never failed to yield submission to the voice of au- 
thority, even though it entailed the sacrifice of my 
own will and pleasure. In submitting myself thus 
to the yoke of obedience, Thy Infinite Goodness 
didst always favor me and endue me with new 
strength at times and in manners least expected.” 

Marquez, the faithful biographer of Blessed Al- 
phonsus, aptly remarks, that the commentaries 
Father Orozco makes upon the admonitions which 
our Holy Father, St. Augustine offers to prelates, 
are nothing more than a record of what had been 
his own undeviating practice in the government 
of religious communities. Specially characteristic 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A 99 

of that prudence which is derived from experience 
are his reflections on the following passage in the 
Rule of Augustine : “ Let the prelate esteem him- 
self happy, not because he has authority to com- 
mand ; rather let his happiness consist in his op- 
portunities to serve his brethren in charity. Be- 
fore all let him appear as a model of good works, 
seeking to be loved rather than feared.” In ex- 
pounding the wise admonitions contained in the 
holy Rule of St. Augustine, Blessed Alphonsus ad- 
duces arguments which bespeak the depth of his 
own sincerity; and innumerable incidents does he 
gather from the Sacred Scripture to show that the 
gentle forbearance counseled by the great Bishop 
of Hippo is far more fitting to religious superiors, 
than any disposition of a domineering nature. 

It should indeed be the prelates’ happiness, he 
says, to serve their subjects from motives of char- 
ity and love of God. Our Saviour’s words, “ I am 
in the midst of you as one who serves,” ought con- 
stantly to remind every religious superior that he 
is truly the servant of the servants of God. When 
the same Divine Master deigned to wash the feet 
of his disciples, He taught a most wholesome les- 
son to all spiritual rulers whose duty is to serve 
their brethren by providing for their welfare and 
needs and by nursing them in all their infirmities. 


100 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Like a tender mother, who supports in her arms 
the helpless child, it behooves the superior to bear 
with the weakness of those whom God has entrusted 
to his care, and to watch over them as one who 
guards by night the citadel of a besieged city. 
The director of a religious community is a 
Moses, divinely authorized, to lead a chosen peo- 
ple to the interior of the desert, where spiritual bless- 
ings abound, and there direct his followers in the 
way of perfection. Like the sixty valiant men who 
stood guard about the litter of King Solomon, su- 
periors must always stand armed with the sword 
of vigilance. They must constantly admonish 
their children with words of Sacred Writ, never to 
lay aside the armor of prayer, and with hands 
raised aloft in the undeviating practice of virtue, 
strive to aid the choicest band of Christian war- 
riors to gain a decisive victory over Am alec, the 
evil one. 

The superior, who seeks to govern as Christ com- 
mands in the Gospel, and as our Holy Father en- 
joined in his Rule, must be oblivious of self-inter- 
est in his efforts to serve his brethren, for there is 
nothing which comes more directly under the no- 
tice of a community, than the treatment which the 
superior accords himself. 

In him we expect to see exemplified the poverty 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 101 

that our rule of life exacts ; in him we wish to be- 
hold the virtues of humility and obedience as veri- 
fied by his cheerful submission to law and superior 
guidance. Again, we love to find in the appointed 
head, the model of all goodness and the perfection 
of religion. Not without reason are these high ex- 
pectations centred in the prelate who governs a 
religious body ; for he stands before the brethren by 
reason of his office, as personating in himself the 
fulfilment of all the requirements which he urges 
upon others. His irreproachable conduct is held 
up like a mirror to the gaze of the subjects and in 
which they naturally expect to see reflected the 
ideal religious just as we expect water clear as crys- 
tal to flow from a fountain. But should the foun- 
tain itself become defiled, or the mirror stained, to 
what then shall we have recourse ? That is to say, 
if the superiors in the light of whose virtues the 
brother would naturally behold his own defects, is 
found wanting, what means remain by which the 
subject may remedy his failings? 

The foregoing reflections are made by Blessed 
Alphonsus in his highly approved exposition of the 
Rule of St. Augustine. They portray his views 
upon the duties to which he is now assigned. 

It will not be foreign to our purpose, to test 
the value of these commendable theories in the 


102 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


light of the methods employed by Father Orozco 
in all convents over which he presided. II is 
sweet, gentle nature abhorred the thought of in- 
flicting punishment on others. Words he was 
wont to say cannot describe the martyrdom a su- 
perior suffers even when duty compels him to 
chastise his subject. The tepid and indolent, who 
are always and everywhere found, stimulated by 
his encouraging words and holy example, seemed 
to emulate their more zealous brethren. The 
holy prior, as Alphonsus was commonly styled, 
sought in this way to rule his convent by the force 
of that charity with which he himself was en- 
chained, heart and soul, to his Maker in the lov- 
ing observance of that Rule of religious life which 
he had so cheerfully embraced. 

Mindful of the admonition of our Holy Father 
Augustine, Blessed xMphonsus labored to foster 
among his subjects respect for authority from mo- 
tives of love rather than fear, for the law of fear, 
he says, must cease, ere the law of love begins ; 
while God himself sustains and rules the universe 
with mercy, not with rigor. It is easier to ren- 
der to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, an ac- 
count of a stewardship in which mercy abounded, 
than of one in which excessive zeal had carried us 
beyond the bounds of justice. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , O. S. A. 


103 


Only a few clays were needed, after Blessed 
Alphonsus had entered the monastery, to render 
apparent the consoling results of his provident 
guidance. His very presence seemed to exert a 
magic influence which won the hearts of all. He 
manifested a constant solicitude for the infirm, to 
whom he freely gave his personal attention, 
thereby fulfiling to the letter, what he had already 
so wisely counselled as the way to imitate the Son 
of Man, the divine Model of Prelates, who did not 
“ come to be ministered unto, but to minister.” — 
Mark X., 45. Far from being envious of the hon- 
ors accorded to his inferiors, the holy prior was 
the first to applaud the efforts, or to credit the 
worth, of the least to the greatest of his brethren. 
He firmly believed that, besides satisfying a grave 
duty of conscience, he was in this way strengthen- 
ing, not weakening, his own authority. Thus did 
Father Orozco forcibly maintain the dignity of his 
position and his authority over his subjects through 
the relations of respect, kindness and charity, 
which always prove the strongest ties to bind hon- 
orable hearts in a loyal service. To restrain the 
froward, seldom did he need to recur to any 
means, save to manifest the evident displeasure 
with which he viewed inobservance among his 
brethren. 


104 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XIII. 

BLESSED ALPHONSUS IS SUCCESSIVELY ASSIGNED 
TO CONVENTS IN SEVILLE AND GRANADA. HIS 
DISDAIN FOR THE REPUTED REVELATIONS MADE 
BY AN IMPOSTER. APPARITION OF THE 
BLESSED VIRGIN WHO URGES HIM TO WRITE. 

(1542-1546.) 

From the age of thirty years, till made Preacher 
Royal to the court of Spain, Father Orozco was 
continually engaged by his Order in the duties of 
superior. In 1542, he became prior of an import- 
ant convent of the Augustinians in the city of Se- 
ville ; two years later he was transferred to Gra- 
nada, holding there the same rank. At the Pro- 
vincial Chapter, held the following year, he was 
confirmed in this latter charge. The chronicles 
of the Spanish province for the year 1546, mention 
Father Alphonsus Orozco as Prior of Granada, and 
also visitator of the religious houses of Andalusia. 
In discharge of the duties of visitator, he is 
obliged, for the second time, to cross to the Canary 
Islands for the purpose of ascertaining, by an offi- 
cial visit, the condition of the convent which his 
Order owned in Teneriffe. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


105 


It is a well authenticated fact, that Alphonsus 
had already crossed the gulf to visit the Canaries 
on a similar mission, shortly after the close of the 
Chapter of 1541. At this time, while journeying 
by way of Cordova, there occurred an incident, 
which proved with what superior gifts of discern- 
ment the Lord had endowed the holy religious, 
who, nevertheless, was still a prey to the most 
grievous spiritual disturbances. Magdalen of the 
Cross was a woman, who had attracted the atten- 
tion of the whole populace, and also the admira- 
tion of many overcredulous and curious people of 
the city of Cordova, by the reputed revelations 
credited to her, no less than by the wondrous 
deeds which she was said to have wrought. Very 
many persons of learning and experience were de- 
ceived by her impostures. Even priests and men 
of letters visited and consulted her. Persons of 
whatever note or distinction, that entered Cor- 
dova, made it a special point to see Magdalen of 
the Cross, whose name was on all tongues. Father 
Alphonsus, however, gracious and obliging as lie 
was, like another Ignatius of Loyola, did not avail 
himself of this opportunity, nor was he at all reti- 
cent in declaring his utter disbelief in her powers. 
The contempt with which Father Orozco spoke re- 
garding this woman, occasioned such great surprise 


10G 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


among his brethren, who were deceived by her 
pretentions, that it threatened a scandal of no 
small moment. Cut loud was the praise on all 
sides for the prudence and discernment of spirit 
possessed by Blessed Alphonsus when shortly 
afterward they detected the illusions and frauds 
which Magdalen had so ingeniously practiced. 
Nor was this the only occasion that Alphonsus 
seemed inspired in unmasking Satan’s deceits. 

Three times did our Blessed Alphonsus suffer 
agonies and torments akin to those of death. The 
first illness threatened his life shortly after leav- 
ing Salamanca, and while residing at Medina del 
Campo, as related in a foregoing chapter. Now, 
while superior of a convent in Seville, his old in- 
firmities returned only to be aggravated on his re- 
moval to the city of Granada. In his Confessions, 
we are told, that this illness was the severest he 
had ever experienced. For forty days he was 
prostrate and helpless in hands and feet. 
“Then,” says he, “was I crucified with the 
King of Heaven ; my hands and feet were fast- 
ened, not with iron nails, but with that torment- 
ing humor. When languid and suffering, like an- 
other Job, I was made to feel that ‘ my strength 
was not the strength of stone, nor was my flesh 
of brass.’ ” In this manner the Lord chose to 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


107 


cleanse this vessel of election of every dross, to 
make him shine before the eyes of his brethren as 
a model of perfection, and also to dispose him to 
receive, in due time, special graces commensurate 
with the loftly end reserved for so faithful a ser- 
vant. 

About this time, (1542) Father Orozco was 
favored with an apparition from Heaven. In the 
third book of his Confessions, he himself relates 
it as follows : “ While residing in our monastery 
in Seville, I beheld in a dream, O my Saviour, 
Thy most pure Mother, who spoke to me but one 
word, and that was, ‘ write .’ The happiness 
which my soul felt at this moment, words are 
powerless to express. Her countenance so 
humble, yet so grave, with downcast eyes, even 
now, while writing, it seems that I still behold 
her, so deeply was the remembrance of this gra- 
cious visit impressed on all the faculties of my be- 
ing. With this happiness I awoke and said : ‘O 
Queen of Angels, I beseech you that if this vis- 
ion be a reality, you will confirm it by command- 
ing me what to write.’ Relapsing into sleep the 
same night, the same messenger returned to me, 
and said again, ‘write.’ Praise be to Thee, O my 
Saviour, for Thy boundless mercy ; and I also 
render thanks to the world’s Queen, saying with 


108 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


St. Elizabeth, 4 whence is this to me, that the 
Mother of my Lord should come and console me?’ 

44 Presently I set to work writing various treatises 
b}" the command of your Most Holy Mother, whom 
Thou, Thyself, my Lord, obeyed for thirty years, 
and whom the angels esteem it a happiness to serve. 
I beseech Thy divine Majesty, that this doctrine 
may be written for Thy glory, and for the welfare 
of souls redeemed by Thy Precious Blood: and 
may it also redound to the honor of Thy glorious 
Mother, who, by Thy will, twice said to me, 
4 write.’ ” 

We now begin to discover the Lord’s ulterior 
designs upon his servant, Alphonsus, who was so 
long harassed with spiritual sufferings, and ren- 
dered the victim of prolonged and repeated bod- 
ily infirmities. On passing triumphantly through 
these bitter experiences, he is adjudged worthy of 
receiving extraordinary favors from the hands of 
Him, who had witnessed the sterling virtue which 
Alphonsus had invariably exhibited in the fur- 
nace of affliction. 

Thus did the Lord fashion, with the hammer 
of tribulation, a strong and tried leader, who, as 
the writer of heavenly truths, and as an example 
of the highest virtue, might act as a safe guide in 
the narrow way that leads to future glory. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


109 


This marvellous incident as related by Blessed 
Alphonsus in his Confessions, occurred in the 
forty-second year of his age ; its bearing upon the 
remaining portion of his life was most important. 
From this time he is constant in placing before 
the world various writings, which remain to attest 
the wealth and worth of his industry and talent. 
The reader will obtain an insight to the merits of 
Father Orozco’s pen productions from occasional 
extracts to be embodied in future chapters of this 
biography. But reference shall be made to those 
voluminous writings only inasmuch as they 
directly aid in throwing new light upon the vir- 
tues and character of their saintly author. His 
works, in this respect, cover a large field of 
thought, and evince great proficiency in both 
sacred and profane knowledge. Not the least 
evidence of his deserving praise is found in the 
fact, that the Ro} r al Academy of Spain enumer- 
ates in its catalogue of renowned authors the 
name — Alphonsus Orozco. 


110 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XIV. 

BLESSED ALPHONSUS SETS SAIL FOR THE MIS- 
SIONS OF MEXICO. HIS JOURNEY IS INTER- 
RUPTED BY AN ILLNESS WHICH OBLIGES HIM 
TO RETURN TO SPAIN. (1548-1549.) 

Seven years of Father Orozco’s life were already 
spent in quiet and peace. During all this time he 
was busied in writing books of a devotional char- 
acter, whose pages bespoke the lively affection 
their author cherished for the pure Mother of God. 
It is known that he left Seville in 1544 to reside 
in beautiful Granada, where till the year 1548, he 
was superior of the convent in that city, and like- 
wise, visitator for the province of Andalusia. At 
this time the reports, coming from America, of the 
success attending the missionaries’ labors in that 
far region, were growing more encouraging. In 
the year 1538, the first band of Augustinians had 
embarked from Spain for the New World. They 
were eight in number, the greater portion of whom 
had been fellow-novices with Alphonsus, and all, 
in common with him, were children of the famed 
Convent of St. Peter at Salamanca. 

The vicissitudes of the early days of Christian- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


Ill 


ity were again enacted in the unexplored theatre 
of the New World, for whose shores set sail men 
of truly apostolic zeal. But an ambition nobler 
than the acquisition of empire fired the ardor of 
those religious pioneers w'ho readily braved all dan- 
gers and hardships in their efforts to ransom im- 
mortal souls from the slavery of ignorance and er- 
ror. Under orders of Charles V., the Viceroy of 
Mexico, Don Antonio de Mendoza prepared an ex- 
pedition for the conquest and conversion of the 
West India Islands. The Augustinians w r ere se- 
lected as missionaries of holy faith in this enterprise. 
The fleet set sail in 1542, and for six years all 
tidings of its fate were lost. Finally, it was learned 
that the little barks, ploughing the unknown seas, 
w r ere for a long time at the mercy of the mad 
waves, wdiile the supply of provisions was sufficient 
only for a few months. Dangers beset them on all 
sides, particularly from hostile fleets upon the sea, 
while savage natives menaced them when- 
ever they sought safety on land. To add to their 
misfortune, the admiral in command was ignorant 
of the location of these islands, which had already 
been claimed by the Crown of Spain. The hero- 
ism displayed by the religious in this hazardous 
enterprise, was recounted at home, and served to 
fire the hearts of their zealous brethren, many of 


112 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


wliom longed to endure the like hardships and 
perils, with the hope of sharing the rich reward 
promised those who spread the light of faith to the 
nations that sit in darkness. Moreover, the few 
laborers of the Gospel who were sparsely scattered 
over Mexico’s broad expanse, frequently pleaded 
for more hands to help them reap the harvest of 
their apostolic efforts. To this same end, the Em- 
peror Charles petitioned the provincial chapter of 
Augustinians held at Toledo in 1548, to send more 
religious priests to the new missions established 
in Mexico. 

This condition of affairs strongly appealed to the 
mind of Alphonsus, who had always yearned to 
pursue the career of a missionaiy. But now the 
occasion was more opportune than ever for him to 
attain his long-cherished desire, to evangelize a 
barbarous people, and, perhaps to crown his labors 
by dying a martyr. On placing himself in the 
presence of God, and recalling the afflictions which 
He had endured for love of man, Alphonsus blushed 
to find himself so comfortably situated in his own 
country, while many of his companions were 
traversing the forests and uncultivated plains of 
America. On revolving these thoughts in his 
mind he was inflamed with an ardent zeal to preach 
without delay the Holy Name of Jesus and his 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , O. 8. A. 


113 


Blessed Mother to the distant savages. Like a 
sweet dream, rose in his mind the hope that this 
generous resolve might entail the shedding of his 
own blood. The frequent and painful illness with 
which his Adorable and Crucified Lord afflicted 
him, did not satisfy the eagerness to suffer for the 
sake of Jesus Christ. Filled with the fire of an 
apostle, Alphonsus now esteemed as little his own 
past sufferings, particularly those prolonged temp- 
tations and anxieties of mind, to which he was sub- 
ject on account of scruples. Accordingly, he vol- 
unteered to embark in the first vessel to set sail 
for the missions in Mexico, and the generous offer 
was accepted by his superiors. 

We may readily conceive with what transports 
of joy, Father Orozco received his obedience for 
this new field of labor. His biographers, no less 
than the statements verified at the judicial inquiry 
into his sanctity by the Holy See, attest that the 
only provision he made for the long journey, 
was a wooden cross. This he carried for his 
comfort in the midst of privation ; his alleviator 
in torments ; his refuge and protection in all 
difficulties. The Blessed Father could not set 
out on his journey without carrying in his em- 
brace the symbol of his Redeemer’s torment. It 
had been his companion and his strength in bat- 
8 


114 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


tling with the powers of his arch-enemy, satan ; 
it was the mirror ever before • his eyes which 
clearly reflected his duties to God and humanity; 
it had been the faithful friend that cheered his 
faint soul in those sad hours when death had 
threatened to claim him its victim. Lastly, he 
hoped to die with it clasped to his bosom, treasur- 
ing. it as the wing that would bear him in flight to 
the eternal shores of future happiness, the emblem 
on which were sculptured the glory and crown of 
his heroic virtues. 

We can picture to ourselves the holy joy which 
Alphonsus experienced, as, wafted by the winds 
across the sea towards his intended destiny, his 
imagination, borne on the wings of faith and holy 
love, transported him alreadj^ in thought to the 
scene of the western wilds. A storm, exception- 
ally furious was encountered by the fleet. The 
vessel, which Alphonsus was aboard, foundered on 
the shoals near the Canary Islands, and threatened 
to sink in mid-ocean. In the midst of a danger so 
imminent, the intrepid missionary did not falter 
the least in confidence or courage ; for he had al- 
ready, before venturing on the expedition, weighed 
and realized the perils of sea and land. When 
the ocean’s yawning depths seemed about to swal- 
low up the little crafts, Father Orozco spoke un- 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 115 

falteringly to his companions, saying : “ Let us 
continue our journey without dread, and think 
only of the joy we will find at the end of the voy- 
age.” In answer to the prayer of this determined 
apostle, who constantly held the Cross aloft and 
lifted his eyes to heaven in devout supplication, 
God deigned to still the winds and calm the 
storm. Serene weather followed, and everything 
apparently augured safety for the expedition. 
God, however, who in His wisdom, had reserved 
for Blessed Alphonsus duties other than that of 
evangelizing the Red Men of Mexico, and a fate 
other than a martyr’s, was pleased to accept only 
his sacrifice of desire, and thus prove the loyalty 
of His servant without requiring the fulfilment 
of his generous resolve. 

All prospects of Father Orozco ever reaching 
America were soon destroyed, and his buoyant 
hopes in this respect were crushed by a sudden 
return of his old infirmity of rheumatic fever. 
The physicians in attendance despaired of the 
Saint’s life ; on this account his vessel put into 
port at one of the Canary Islands, which lay in 
course of their western route. The sea voyage 
was judged the cause of his sudden and severe ill- 
ness. Accordingly, here he tarried till appeared 
the first symptoms of convalescence, when he was 


116 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


returned to Spain, being pronounced bodily un- 
able to sustain the hardships and privations of the 
Mexican mission. Keenly did the martyr spirit 
of Father Orozco feel the disappointment, but 
more bitterly did he deplore his unworthiness and 
sins, which, he said, deprived him of the privilege 
and honor of suffering martyrdom for our holy 
faith. 

Alplionsus, in his Confessions, speaks of this in- 
cident as follows : “ Eight years afterwards, (dat- 
ing from the time of my illness in Seville,) I de- 
sired to cross over to Mexico to assist, as best I 
could, the fathers of my order, who were there 
preaching with remarkable fruit Thy holy law to 
the Indians. Then I yearned, as I also do now, 
to obtain the exceptional favor of dying a martyr, 
a privilege so rare, my God, that it depends on 
Thy special grace. Not deeming me worthy to 
engage in so meritorious an enterprise, Thou didst 
see fit to afflict me on reaching the Canary Islands 
with a disease from which I had previously, at in- 
tervals, suffered grievously. 

“For all this, praise be unto Thee, my God. It 
is written in Ecclesiasticus that ‘ there is no riches 
above the riches of the health of the body.’— 30- 
xvi. But from Thy blessed Hand I have received 
a greater treasure still, namely: an experience of 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 117 

this life’s ills, which Thou dost meet out to those 
whom Thou desirest to suffer for Thy love’s sake. 
For he only, who suffers, can truly feel the enor- 
mity of Thy woes. Only the poor can rightly 
know the wants Thou didst endure in the life of 
poverty whose bitter portion was made Thy free 
choice. Neither can Thjr bodily sufferings be 
fully estimated, save by him who has tasted the 
bitterness of a painful infirmity. 

“ My God, grant me this favor, that, while living 
I may always in truth say : ‘ With Christ Jesus, 
my Saviour, I am nailed to the cross.’ Let the 
cross be my repose, my comfort and delight, for 
then shall I dwell in that strong fortress so im- 
pregnable to the assaults of satan; then shall I 
be lifted above the world, and enabled to trample 
under foot its boasted honors and vain favors ; 
and, finally, having crucified the old man, the 
heir of Adam that is within me, may my spirit 
enjoy the liberty and power to love Thee with all 
my might and unceasingly praise and serve Thee 
with heart and tongue.”* 

* Third Book of his Confessions Chap. IV., p. 91. 


118 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XV. 

BLESSED OROZCO MIRACULOUSLY DELIVERED 
FROM HIS SPIRITUAL DISTURBANCE. HIS RE- 
TURN TO SEVILLE. ( 1549 - 1554 .) 

The reader has seen in the preceding chapter, 
how Blessed Alphonsus, through illness, was 
obliged to abandon all hope of ever joining his 
zealous brethren in their apostolic labors in Mex- 
ico. In his humility, he declared himself unfit, 
on account of his sins, to be numbered among 
those self-sacrificing men, who were evangelizing 
the so-called Indies, and unworthy to be awarded 
the coveted palm of martyrdom. He, accord- 
ingly, is obliged to return to Spain, tormented 
with bodily afflictions, without realizing his fond 
expectations. But, in the midst of his disappoint- 
ments and sufferings, Father Orozco finds solace 
in clasping to his bosom the holy cross, the em- 
blem of the love of Jesus Christ for sinners. 

He, in all humility, might deem himself un- 
worthy to preach a knowledge of the one, true 
faith to the unbelievers of strange lands, but the 
Christians of his own country, who rightly valued 
virtue, derived comfort and edification from their 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , O. S. A. 


* 119 


gentle Father Orozco whom all revered for his 
charity and rare gifts of holy counsel. In the 
general archives of the Augustinian Order, under 
date of 1549, is preserved a written petition ad- 
dressed by the Marquis of Priego to the bishop 
of the diocese, soliciting for the welfare and edi- 
fication of the suppliant, that the Blessed Father 
Alphonsus be made resident of the Convent of 
St. Augustine at Montilla, a town in the province 
of Andalusia, Spain. This appeal proved ineffec- 
tual. But later, at the instance of the illustrious 
Dominican, Juan Alvarez, Cardinal Archbishop 
of Santiago, (then resident of Rome,) application 
was renewed by direct recourse to the most Rev. 
Father General, O. S. A., who in the year 1550, Oct. 
8th, accorded the favor. 

The charity of the Blessed Father had endeared 
him to many, and he proved a friend of special 
worth in imparting spiritual comfort to disconso- 
late souls ; but we have no reason to believe that 
the above repeated supplication was made with 
his knowledge or consent. Besides, it is well es- 
tablished that his stay at Montilla was of short 
duration. In the year 1551 he was again residing 
at Seville, where his most beloved Mother, the 
Queen of Heaven, came to bestow on her faithful 
client another favor of a most singular nature. 


120 * 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


For thirty years, without interruption except 
during the sacrifice of the Mass and other rare 
intervals, had Blessed Alphonsus suffered from 
grievous assaults of scruples and temptations. 
We need but repeat the words which he wrote 
after having passed unscathed through this fiery 
ordeal, to know the living martyrdom he so long 
suffered. “Oh! Saviour of the World, how shall 
I manifest that stubborn warfare which my soul 
endured for well-nigh thirty years ! Oh ! what 
blasphemies did satan, that father of lies, then 
utter in my hearing! St. Peter says that, ‘as a 
roaring lion, he goeth about, seeking whom he 
may devour.’ What else but the howls of this 
fierce lion were the manifest temptations against 
holy faith, with which my soul was unceasingly 
troubled night and day ? A morsel of bread or a 
little water I could not take without scruple.” * 
Alphonsus was not on this account dismayed ; 
though disturbed, he well knew that the more 
keenly was felt this mental suffering and aridity 
of devotion, the greater was his progress in solid 
virtue. “ The soldier, who turns his back and flees 
at the first encounter, is a coward ; ” writes he, 
“ and is unworthy to share the spoils of victory 
which fall to the conqueror. It is also coward-like 
* Second Book of his Confessions, Chap. XII. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 121 

and shows great weakness to cease from holy ex- 
ercises, because no longer is felt that desired fervor 
and sweetness accompanying works of piety. They 
who constant^ thirst for such sensible delights in 
religion may be classed among those who, St. Peter 
says, desire milk, as children recently born. The 
wheat takes root and grows to better advantage 
in the midst of the winter’s frost and snow ; so also, 
the soul, when parched with aridity and chilled by 
the loss of fervor, attains its strongest growth in 
holiness. For, in this condition it rightly hum- 
bles itself and deplores its sins, and thus renders 
itself more secure from vain glory than when in- 
undated with those gifts of interior happiness, 
which sometimes accrue from our devotion.”* 
Truly he, who gave this counsel, had virtue firmly 
rooted in his own heart ; the mental anguish, the 
bodily afflictions and penances were, for thirty 
years, the chastening influences, through which 
Blessed Alphonsus attained a high degree of sanc- 
tity. 

On a certain day, after combating the devil’s 
prolonged buffets, Father Orozco was made fear- 
ful of his own strength to continue longer the 
struggle, and at length with sentiments akin to 
despair, he cried out : “Queen of Heaven, where 
* History of the Queen of Sheba, Chap. xxi. 


122 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


are you ? ” To this a gentle voice above him 
made answer : “ Alphonsus, I am here with you.” 
Presently his soul was engulfed in a tranquil peace 
— a recompense of the triumph he won by his faith. 
To our Blessed Lady r , the Mother of Mercy, hun- 
dreds of times had Alphonsus acknowledged him- 
self debtor ; even before his birth had she bestowed 
her favor upon him, whom a devoted parent had 
offered to her service. Now, through the inter- 
cession of this powerful protectress, the tempta- 
tions and scruples which so long tormented 
him, suddenly and entirely disappeared. As a 
true and tried soldier of Christ, he came forth tri- 
umphant from a struggle with the powers of evil, 
whose machinations had left sad traces on his 
memory, but no stain on his pure soul. 

Through recourse to Mary’s patronage, the devil, 
abashed, fled in confusion, unable longer to con- 
tinue his assaults. One night, shortly after the 
incident just related, on returning from Matins to 
his cell, Blessed Alphonsus heard the hoarse bark- 
ing of dogs in the distance, while there arose 
above the din of noise a voice near at hand and of 
surpassing gentleness, which said : “ Alphonsus, 
the conquered flee.” From that time, the vener- 
able priest himself affirms, that his remaining days 
on earth were spent in the possession of a heavenly 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A . 123 

quiet and peace of conscience. He writes : “Be 
Thou forever blessed, Who thus conducted me 
through so severe an ordeal, that I, in turn, might 
be able to console and direct Christian souls whom 
Thou, by divine justice, dost afflict in a similar 
manner. I should not have known how to speak 
or to prescribe remedies for those tormented like 
myself, unless I had known, by sad experience, 
their misery.” (Confessions, Book 2, p. 86.) 

Surely Heaven bestowed on Spain, in the person 
of Blessed Alphonsus, a writer and preacher en- 
dowed with rarest talents, whose voice and pen 
were effectual in stemming the tide of unbelief, 
which, in his age, devastated Christian Europe. 
Like Michael Archangel, the humble Father 
Orozco, in his warfare with the spirits of wicked- 
ness in high places, proved himself conqueror of 
Satan in a thousand struggles, and, in reward of 
the victory, merited the palm of sanctity. More- 
over, the Divine Spirit communicated to the soul 
of our hero, already tried and experienced in the 
hardships of war, a new vigor. After subduing 
the emotions of his own self-love, and conquering 
the power of satan, he came forth rejuvenated, like 
the eagle, to display his qualities as leader of a peo- 
ple beloved of God. 

Sometime during the year 1551, the favorite 


124 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


apostle of his day returned to Castile. Here he 
remained as prior of a convent of his order at Val- 
ladolid till obedience thrust upon the humble friar 
the honors of Preacher Royal at the court of Spain. 
Let us, in the succeeding pages, bring to light the 
brilliancy with which he shone in that position of 
eminence. The eyes of all were intent upon the 
splendor of his renown, and a thousand tongues 
sang his praises. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


125 


CHAPTER XVI. 

BLESSED ALPHONSUS RECEIVES FROM CHARLES 
V. THE TITLE OF PREACHER ROYAL. HIS RE- 
LATION WITH AFFAIRS OF HIS ORDER. HIS 
APOSTOLIC LABORS AT THE COURT OF SPAIN. 

( 1554 - 1560 .) 

We have now arrived at a new epocli in the 
life of Blessed Alplionsus Orozco, whose remain- 
ing years are to be spent in a wider sphere of ac- 
tion. Henceforth, his duties assume a public 
character, in consequence of which our Saint 
exerts a more far-reaching influence upon the 
events and circumstances of his age. We must 
now accompany him to Valladolid, the city in 
which the Emperor Charles then held his magnifi- 
cent court, and where we shall find Father Orozco 
occupying the eminent post of Prior of St. Augus- 
tine’s Convent. 

As it is the nature of the sun to shine, and of a 
burning fire to emit a living flame, so also, is it 
natural to a wise man to spread the rays of wis- 
dom, and of a virtuous man to diffuse the sweet 
perfume of piety. Hence the humility and seclu- 
sion of our venerable religious could not conceal 


126 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


from the world the priceless treasures with which 
God had enriched him. The faithful of Valladolid 
were irresistibly drawn to the good prior, charmed 
no less«by the beauty of his intellect, than by the 
sweet odor of sanctity, as reflected in his words 
and demeanor. 

In this city, the focus of talent and refinement, 
Blessed Alphonsus resided for several years. The 
brilliant Court of Charles, honored as it always 
was by renowned statesmen and warriors, and 
by men skilled in arts and letters, did not eclipse 
the splendor of the humble Friar of St. Augus- 
tine’s. His virtue and merits were extolled by 
people of all ranks. Men of high and of low de- 
gree alike united in praise of that sterling integ- 
rity which was so apparent in all his undertak- 
ings. 

Even the emperor sought to honor him, whom 
his whole court vied in honoring, and accordingly 
bestowed on Blessed Alphonsus an evidence of his 
esteem by naming him preacher to the Royal 
Court. The letter announcing this title was 
dated at Brussels, March 13, 1554, where Charles 
was residing in the interest of his possessions in 
the Lower Countries. 

Humbly and thankfully Alphonsus received this 
mark of distinction, and on reading the royal dis- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 127 

patch lifted his eyes to Heaven and prayed to 
know the Divine Will in the matter. Then 
sounded anew in his hearing the virgin’s encour- 
aging command to write, and the first thoughts of 
our devout client of Mary turned upon this new 
opportunity, which the position at court would 
afford him of spreading the glories of the Queen 
of Heaven. For, had not Father Orozco already 
consecrated to the service of this Immaculate 
Mother his very heart’s blood in return for his 
miraculous deliverance from the assaults and de- 
lusions of the devil ? He felt that it was for this 
end his health had been restored, and his mind 
invigorated and illumined by the light of truth. 
Moreover, this heaven-like peace and consolation 
of which his soul was in possession constantly re- 
minded him of his large indebtedness to her 
bounty. Accordingly, Father Orozco welcomes 
his own appointment to royal court, being con- 
vinced that here he could discharge more effectu- 
ally his obligations to the Mother of God, to serve 
whom he deemed a privilege and an honor greater 
than could be acquired by princely favor. 

The distinguished preacher was at a loss to 
know by what chance or circumstance his name 
and fame had reached the ears of Charles the 
Emperor. But, he nevertheless, began his labors 


128 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


with resolute spirit, firmly persuaded that an in- 
fluence more potent than that of earth was shap- 
ing his career. 

Upon this new field of labor Blessed Alphonsus 
enters, little thinking that lie must spend forty 
years in apostolic work among the nobility of 
Spain. For two score years this humble son of 
Augustine continues a member of the royal house- 
hold, where unmoved by the tinselled glory which 
surrounds the court, he labors with unabated zeal 
for the salvation of souls. Amidst honors and 
preferment he constantly bewails his prolonged 
exile from his true home in heaven, like another 
Paul wishing to be dissolved and be with Christ. 

The very year in which Father Orozco received 
the title of Preacher Royal, he revised the 
greater portion of his writings, and after expun- 
ging the errors committed by the publishers, of- 
fered them again for the perusal of the public in a 
single volume entitled : A Compilation of My 
Works . As an expression of gratitude to the royal 
family, he placed this contribution from his pen 
at the feet of the princess regent, gracefully ac- 
knowledging in the dedicatory the favor of which 
he is made the recipient. Shortly afterwards Al- 
phonsus dedicated to the reigning Infanta, Donna 
Joanna, a comparatively new book, in the preface 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 


129 


of which, he speaks as follows : Last year I pre- 
sented to your Royal Highness, six volumes of 
my works which had previously received careful 
revision. Knowing that you find delight in read- 
ing how God is wont to satisfy through holy 
scripture the desires of the soul, it seemed to me 
proper to dedicate to you this exposition of the 
Seven Words* of the Queen of Heaven , Mother of 
God, which, with the assistance of the Holy Ghost, 
I preached in her honor in our Monastery of St. 
Augustine during the Saturdays of Lent. They 
are not the words of a mere prophet, but of the 
Mother and Queen of prophets ; nor are they the 
words of an angel, but of her who begot the 
Creator of Angels, whose tongue was that very 
delicate instrument selected by the Holy Spirit 
from among the purest creatures of earth, to mani- 
fest his great secrets to the world. Hence it is, 
that the Supreme King of Heaven commanded 
the evangelists to record these words with care, 
and deposit them in the Gospel, the Aik of di- 

*This was the tide of seven sermons which Blessed Al- 
phonsns published in a single volume, and they are among 
the earliest productions in the Spanish tongue. Hitherto ora- 
tors of distinction refrained from using any other mode of 
speech than Latin, the language of elegance and grace. From 
this ancient custom of his country Father Orozco madeade- 
parture for the purpose of adapting his thoughts to the less 
cultured classes. 


9 


130 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


vine wisdom. With these, as with priceless 
jewels and rare emeralds, our souls are enriched 
every time we peruse them, or, with due attention 
and reverence, meditate on the lessons they incul- 
cate. 

In order the better to fulfil the duties of his of- 
fice, and also comply with that peculiar commis- 
sion received from the Blessed Virgin to write, 
Father Orozco purposed never again to accept a 
prelacy in his order, an exemption which he law- 
fully claimed in virtue of his position at court. 
But on the 20th of April, perhaps before there 
was given an opportunity to formulate this reso- 
lution, he was chosen definitor by his brethren 
assembled in provincial chapter, an office which 
he held for three years. During this term he 
continued to serve his order with the same devo- 
tion and constancy, which had characterized his 
whole religious life ; and in the succeeding chap- 
ter held in 1557, the Father General deputed 
Blessed Alphonsus to preside in his name. 

The Saint’s salutary influence was always ap- 
parent in every association to which he was at all 
affiliated. What prudence, then, may we not be- 
lieve was reflected in the deliberations of this 
venerable body, over which he presided, and of 
which he was the soul, the principle by which 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


131 


the various subjects were discussed and approved? 
This was the last office of trust which Blessed 
Alphonsus ever accepted from his order, as he 
was constant in his purpose to devote unreservedly 
his remaining years to study and preaching. 

At the close of the above mentioned Chapter, 
the province of Spain, in token of appreciation 
of the zeal which Father Orozco had shown for 
its welfare, and in recognition of his talents and 
virtue, requested the Father General in Rome to 
honor their retiring president with the degree of 
Master of Theology.* But the chief difficulty to 
overcome, was the humility of him, on whom all 
sought to thrust honors. Besides from his sense 
of fitness, Father Orozco frequently, in his writ- 
ings and public utterances, urged that the revered 
name of Master should be one exclusively re- 
served to Jesus Christ. There is no record extant 
to show that this title was ever conferred upon 
Father Orozco, though it remains much to his 
credit to know that his learned brethren in Spain, 

*The register kept in the general archives contains the fol- 
lowing reference — 1557. In a letter dated September 6th, at 
the instance of the Spanish Province, permission is granted to 
Reverend Father Alphonsus Orozco, Preacher of the King, to 
receive in any university the degree of Master, ns the General 
has not the authority to confer the title of Master of Theology. 
In the same epistle the virtue and learning of this worthy re- 
ligious receive high enconiums. 


132 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


adjudged our blessed servant of God worthy of 
this honor. 

Shortly after the close of this Chapter, of which 
Blessed Alphonsus was president, and growing out 
of its proceedings, there arose an incident, which 
clearly indicates that the Saint, on occasions of 
need, knew how to temper gentleness of manner 
with remarkable firmness of character. Notwith- 
standing the satisfaction so freely expressed in fa- 
vor of his management of affairs, there were 
found those who gave utterance to their dissatisfac- 
tion regarding certain legislations enacted at this 
Chapter of which Father Orozco was president. 
Finally these complaints took the form of a griev- 
ance which was carried to the ears of the Father 
General. Alphonsus upon hearing these unfavora- 
ble reports was deeply moved, for he realized that 
his own integrity was impugned, and also that the 
good results of the Chapter were liable, in conse- 
quence, to be impaired. But, knowing how ground- 
less were the charges alleged, he wrote at once to 
his superior in Borne a very circumspect letter, 
which bespoke a remarkable decision of purpose, 
without detracting from his profound respect for 
authority. The rumors afloat which pained him 
greatly, he declared had originated among those 
brethren whom St. Paul represents as having a zeal 


ALPHONSTJS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 133 

of God , but not according to knowledge. After re- 
assuring the Father General of the order, of the 
harmony which prevailed in all the councils of his 
religious in Spain, Father Orozco strongly urges 
that a severe reprimand be administered to those 
who sought to detract from the wholesome effects 
of their recent legislations. Lastly, conscious of 
the rectitude of all his rulings, he invited inquiry 
into every detail of his own conduct, and for this 
purpose advised his Father Superior to make a per- 
sonal visit of their province, and, like his predeces- 
sor, General Seripandus, acquaint himself with all 
their doings ; but in no case ought he make any 
revisions of standing regulations pending this vis- 
itation. 

While residing in Valladolid, Blessed Alphonsus 
was deprived, by death, of his lifelong friend and 
confidant, St. Thomas of Villanova. On Septem- 
ber 7th, 1555, the great archbishop of Valencia 
passed to his eternal reward. Spain mourned him 
as a common father; but, amidst the universal sor- 
row, there was none whose grief was more poig- 
nant than that of Father Orozco. It was the voice 
of Thomas which had stirred his youthful soul to 
a true sense of the religious vocation ; that had 
called him, like another John, to leave all things 
and give to Jesus the first love of a pure heart. 


134 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


During all these succeeding years the holy prelate 
had extended to Alphonsus a privileged friendship, 
akin to that predilection which Jesus had shown 
for his beloved disciple. In the funeral obsequies, 
held at court, the eulogy upon the deceased arch- 
bishop was delivered by the Preacher Royal, whose 
tears, more than words, told of the sorrow that 
rent his heart, as in fond memory he reviewed 
the. career of the saintly prelate. 

Seldom, if ever, did Alphonsus exercise his offi- 
cial duties of preaching before his majesty, Charles 
V. ; for the magnanimous emperor, in January, 
1556, before leaving Brussels to visit the capital of 
Spain, resigned the crown of the empire in favor 
of his son, Philp II. He reached Valladolid during 
the month of October of the same year, but re- 
mained in the capital not more than fifteen days 
before retiring to a monastery to spend his latter 
days in peace and prepare for death. 

The first two years of Alphonsus’ apostolic labors 
in court were in the service of the princess re- 
gent, Joanna, mother of the Emperor Charles, who 
held the reins of authority at home, while her son 
was absent from Spain in the interest of his 
possessions in the Lower Countries. In the na- 
tional archives of Spain is preserved the written 
permit by which she, as the reigning power, granted 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 135 

Father Orozco full discretion in absenting him- 
self from the Court at will. 

This truly Christian lady ever held the blessed 
religious in high esteem, and shared with him a 
large measure of confidence. Frequently was the 
Preacher Royal made her trusted spiritual adviser, 
and at times in the title-pages of his early writings, 
he is styled Confessor to the Princess Joanna, the 
Infanta of Castile. As evidence also of her esteem, 
Father Alphonsus Orozco’s name appears as exec- 
utor of the last will and testament of this royal 
lady, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. 

But" chiefly with the great monarch, Philip II., 
was Father Orozco associated in his duties at court. 
At the side of the prudent king, for two score 
years, the humble religious faithfully labored in 
rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, 
and to God the things that are God’s. His disin- 
terested counsels and urgent entreaties powerfully 
aided the much-calumniated throne of Spain to 
withstand the furious storm of civil and religious 
revolt,whichinhis day threatened its downfall, and, 
as a champion of the true faith, Alphonsus labored 
unceasingly to uphold in his native kingdom the 
strong arm of authority for the defence of Chris- 
tianity. 


136 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XVII. 

BLESSED ALPHONSUS ACCOMPANIES THE COURT 
TO MADRID. HIS RESIDENCE AND HABITS OF 
LIFE AT THE CONVENT OF ST. PHILIP. ( 1560 .) 

Philip II. dearly loved Valladolid, the place 
which gave him birth ; and no slight evidence of 
his affection was manifested in the numerous and 
stately edifices with which he embellished its sur- 
roundings. Among the many marks of favor 
that Philip had shown for Valladolid he raised it 
to the rank of a city, and was instrumental in se- 
curing for it the dignity of an episcopal seat. 
From the same monarch’s royal bounty a cathe- 
dral was here built, whose immense, but extrava- 
gant proportions give an idea of the lofty flights 
in which the fancy of this timid ruler at times 
indulged. But it must be said that in mat- 
ters of government the son and successor of 
the great Charles was not swayed from the path 
of duty by his innate delicacy of feeling or the 
emotions of his tender heart; for, above the inspir- 
ations of mere sentiment, Philip ever maintained, 
in difficult affairs of state, a mind serene and un- 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 137 

disturbed — one well fitted to deal with subjects 
of profound thought. 

Like every far-seeing man of decided character, 
he sought, at all hazards, to effect a union of the 
forces under his command. With this purpose in 
view, the young monarch, on ascending the 
throne, which his father had vacated, established 
a solid and material centre for its vast possessions 
which were scattered over the two hemispheres. 

On his return from Brussels, where Charles had 
resigned the crown in his favor, he settled for a 
few months in Valladolid, and, immediately after 
his marriage (1560) to Isabel of Valois, daughter 
of the king of France, he moved his court to 
Madrid, and made that city the capital of all the 
territory claimed by the crown of Spain. 

The venerable Father Orozco, by reason of his 
office, was obliged to accompany the court, and 
establish himself in the Crowned City. His rank 
as Preacher Royal was not a mere name or title 
of honor, for, in virtue of it, Blessed Alphonsus 
became a member of the king’s retinue, with cor- 
responding duties, which required his continual 
presence in the vicinity of the royal family. But 
the humble son of Augustine in the midst of royal 
honors gladly availed himself of his privilege to 
reside within the enclosure of a monastery, which 


138 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


his order had previously founded in Madrid. An 
unadorned cell in this quiet abode, far removed, 
from pageantry and praise, became the happy re- 
treat of Alphonsus during the years of service to 
his majesty, Philip II. Though commanding a 
large income, and flattered by the attention of il- 
lustrious personages, surrounded by the most pow- 
erful and brilliant court in Christendom, the 
Preacher Royal was not dazzled nor deceived, by 
this glow of passing greatness; while applauded 
and. honored, he ever remained an unassuming, 
loyal religious, who cherished the habit of his pro- 
fession more than the robes of royalty. 

The life of a contemplative was more to Father 
Orozco’s taste ; and, were he to be guided by his 
own preferences, his pure soul would have sought 
the solitude of the cloister there to find its chief 
delight in prayer and retirement, wherein his com- 
munion with God would be undisturbed and un- 
broken. But the holy priest knew full well that 
he had a mission to perform in the world ; that 
his Heavenly Master had intrusted to him the 
twofold duty of laboring not alone for the sanctifi- 
cation of his own soul, but also for the salvation of 
his brethren. Swayed by this inspiring conviction 
Blessed Alphonsus unhesitatingly ventured into 
the courts of kings to draw men from sin to the 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


139 


knowledge and love of the King of kings ; but 
never did he disdain the ways of the poor and 
miserable, with whom he freely shared his sym- 
pathy and the alms that came to him from the 
bounty of the rich. Like the great Apostle of the 
Gentiles, he was willing to become all things to 
all men that he might gain all to Christ. 

His first act on entering his convent at Mad- 
rid, was to prostrate himself at the feet of the 
Prior, and renounce all the privileges and exemp- 
tions to which he was entitled by reason of his of- 
fice. In return he asked for no more recogni- 
tion than that which was accorded the youngest 
novice of the house. During the entire stay of 
the Preacher Royal in this holy retreat, the wit- 
nesses of his virtue bear testimony to his ready 
and cheerful compliance with every detail of the 
convent regulations, although, on account of his 
position at court, he enjoyed a privileged exemp- 
tion. For his conduct in this respect, the good re- 
ligious alleged not humility as the motive, but 
rather a desire to appear before God and the 
world as vindicating to himself that dignity alone 
which properly belonged to a friar of the Order 
of St. Augustine. 

Some fifteen years previous to the time when 
Philip II. had transferred his court to Madrid, 


140 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


St. Thomas of Villanova was instrumental in se- 
curing a foundation for an Augustinian Convent 
in that city. The request, however, had been 
granted on the express condition that the Saint, 
himself, should become a member of the religious 
community, or, at least, deliver there annually a 
course of Lenten sermons. From this obligation 
St. Thomas was released, only when promoted to 
the Archiepiscopal See of Valencia. The Provi- 
dence of God wisely disposed that the vacant 
pulpit should be occupied by the favored disciple 
of the great prelate ; one who, by the fervor of 
his eloquence, showed that he had drunk deeply 
of the spirit of his master, Thomas. And not 
only for the season of Lent, but during the greater 
portion of all the years spent at the capital, 
Father Orozco found his delight in preaching at 
St. Philip's, deeming it a privilege to continue the 
work begun by his lamented patron and friend, 
Thomas, Archbishop of Villanova. 

Madrid, the seat of the Spanish monarchy, 
must now become the theatre of Father Orozco’s 
future labors ; here, by his zeal and self-sacrifice, 
he proved himself truly a father of blessed deeds 
and a messenger of charity. Before picturing him 
in the chapel and halls of the palace, let us fol- 
low him into the seclusion of his convent life. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 141 

Peaceful and happy, Alphonsus loved to repair to 
his cell, where, in prayer and study, he stored his 
soul with grace, and his mind with holy truth in 
order to announce later the will of God to the 
children of His Church. 

In his small and poorly adorned room in St. 
Philip’s, Blessed Alphonsus spent the most de- 
lightful moments of his life. Its interior was an 
object of much curiosity to his brethren and 
friends, who anxiously sought opportunities to 
view the abode which seemed to possess so much 
charm for the Court Preacher. The Saint un- 
consciously encouraged this curiosity by his ex- 
treme caution in always keeping the entrance 
closed, save to the poor who sought his charity ; 
and, whenever for any purpose, a fellow-religious 
approached his cell, Alphonsus was sure to receive 
the messenger at the door, which, during the in- 
terview, he was careful to guard, allowing it to 
remain scarcely ajar. Whoever chanced to evade 
for a moment the vigilance of the wary occupant, 
was congratulated on having attained a signal 
triumph. 

Father Luis de Rios, the companion whom 
Blessed Alphonsus retained in his visits to the 
palace, and his assistant in all functions of state, 
enjoyed the Saint’s confidence to a rare degree, 


142 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


and has left much reliable information bearing 
upon the inner life of Alphonsus. This testimony 
has also received the favorable judgment of the 
Holy See in the process of the beatification of his 
faithful associate. According to this witness, 
Father Orozco’s life at this time, was one of con- 
tinual penance, as he was constantly devising new 
means of mortification. He knew from personal 
observation, that the Saint’s couch consisted of 
two narrow boards upon which was spread a sack 
filled with vine shoots, to serve as a mattress. 
Its covering was one coarse mantle which the 
Saint never varied to suit the temperature of the 
seasons. This article of furniture which resem- 
bled more a coffin than a couch, was carefully 
concealed in an alcove of his cell. The same 
austerity and love of religious poverty were uni- 
formly exemplified in all the Saint’s belongings. 
A coarse white habit was constantly worn by him 
while residing in the convent, and whenever he 
appeared outside the cloister, he donned the regu- 
lation black, which, though neat and well adjusted, 
was neither costly nor handsome. 

But in all his practices of heroic poverty and 
self-denial, Father Orozco exhibited himself a model 
of cleanliness. He regarded filth and dirt as some- 
thing to be shunned little less than sin. Though 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 143 

his clothing consisted of coarse and very ordinary 
material, he always preserved them neat and spot- 
less. He scrubbed and cleaned his own apart- 
ments, never permitting the assistance of others, 
even when advanced in years. He was wont to 
say to his brethren and servants about the convent, 
that a broom is an implement which renders in- 
valuable service to every religious. Whenever the 
holy preacher chanced to see a stain on the habit 
of a novice, it seemed impossible for him to conceal 
his averson, for what he regarded as an evidence 
of slothful negligence. Nor did he hesitate to re- 
mind the young religious of the fault, and instruct 
him as to the need and virtue of cleanliness. At 
times he was known to kneel and efface such blots 
with his own hands, deeming this action most ef- 
fectual in rendering the novice more circumspect in 
future. More than once was Father Orozco, during 
silence time and at his hours of supposed leisure, 
detected in the act of scrubbing certain places, 
which, by common consent, were exempt from the 
general law of cleaning. A novice to whom a duty 
of a like menial nature was assigned had conceived 
a mortal dislike for the work. He chanced, how- 
ever, to surprise the famous writer of national re- 
pute and preacher to his majesty, in the act of per- 
forming this very task with ease and apparent 


144 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


pleasure, and as a result, tlie repugnance which 
the young religious had formerly felt was entirely 
overcome. 

The Master of novices was accustomed to recom- 
mend Father Orozco to his subjects, as one whose 
practice and attention to the minutest ceremonies 
of his order and priesthood deserved their closest 
study, while in cleanliness and care of clothing, he 
was held up as an object for their imitation. 

The routine of convent life possessed a charm for 
Blessed Alphonsus; his soul seemed to find recre- 
ation in meditation and the office of the choir. The 
zeal in monastic observance, which characterized 
his labors during the first years of his priest- 
hood, while a mere conventual of St. Peter’s in Sal- 
amanca, was fanned to a living glow in his heart, 
when, thirty years later, he was known in Madrid 
as the Preacher Royal of St. Philip’s. 

The good father never neglected to recite Di- 
vine Office in choir, whenever the opportunity per- 
mitted, even in his advanced years. When enfee- 
bled with extreme age, he insisted on chanting the 
Psalms and conforming to all the rules of choir 
observance. 

Father Marquez, in his life of Blessed Alphon- 
sus, commences the chapter treating on self-denial 
with the following emphatic words : “The inci- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 145 

dents which I desire to relate under this head are 
of so remarkable a nature, that it seems proper to 
preface them with words originally bestowed on 
St. Nicholas of Tolentine, who, in his austerity, 
surpassed all the other saints of his time. My 
duty shall consist in simply recounting what has 
been manifest in his history ; but, should the trials 
to which he was subject after receiving the habit 
of religion, seem something beyond human endur- 
ance, give praise to Jesus Christ, through whom, 
says Paul, all things are possible. Moreover, let 
the reader recall what is written in the holy Gos- 
pel concerning St. John the Baptist, who, for 
twenty-five years, was nourished in the desert on 
wild honey and locusts.”* 

May this faithful saying be firmly impressed on 
the minds of those who peruse these pages. If the 
facts as here related, appear to transcend the re- 
gion of possibility, or lack sufficient ground for 
belief, with the outpourings of our faith let praise be 
given to our Lord, who, wonderful in his saints, 
from the plentitude of his powers, is often known 
to impart rare virtues to his tried servants and 
faithful friends. 

At least for three days of every week Blessed 
Alphonsus observed a strict fast by eating only 
* Marquez, Vol. iii., p. 32. 


10 


146 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


one meal, and, for more than fifty years, he never 
tasted food at night. The abstinence and self- 
denial which this mortified religious practiced in 
the midst of pomp and luxury, were undoubtedly 
something miraculous. His conduct in this re- 
spect served to censure the folly and excess which 
obtained in court circles. His repose at night was 
very short, as he never remained more than three 
hours in sleep on the couch already described. 
The friends and associates of the Saint were at a 
loss to know how he found time to be present in 
choir during office and meditation and attend to 
the many duties pertaining to his position at the 
capital, and still be ever ready to listen to the 
multifarious needs of those who had recourse to 
his kindness and charity. 

In this manner, the preacher royal accentuated 
the meaning of the holy truths, which he an- 
nounced to the kings of the earth. As a worthy 
disciple of the Lord, the words of his teaching 
were illustrated by the light of his holy example. 
With St. Gregory, Father Orozco was fully per- 
suaded that it is vain to assume the office of 
preacher unless you have charity towards your 
neighbor. With prayer, fasting, vigils and bodily 
chastisements, the venerable Father Orozco puri- 
fied his soul from the dross of earth, that like an- 


ALPnONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 147 

other Isaias he might be worthy to announce the 
word of God and fulfil the sacred duties of his 
office. Yet from his lean and emaciated counte- 
nance, shone forth a happiness radiant with divine 
love, sweet in his intercourse with his brethren, 
indefatigable in labors, serene and joyful amidst 
contradictions and sufferings. 

We have herein exhibited a few phases of that 
austere virtue so apparent in the life of Blessed 
Alphonsus Orozco. Measured by our own powers 
of natural endurance, whose capacities we are ever 
loathe to tax, and to whose actual possession self- 
love or sensuality often blind us, there may appear 
statements under this head, which excite wonder 
rather than admiration. But we must remember 
that, as God is known to raise up leaders of singu- 
lar fortitude and heroism to guide men in the ful- 
filment of the designs of Providence, so, too, He 
chooses, at times, to set before the world His saints 
in high places, that, like lights on the watch-tower 
of justice, they may remind erring souls of their 
wayward ingratitude to the Supreme Ruler of na- 
tions and peoples. 

Thus, Alphonsus, servant royal to Philip II. of 
Spain, while mingling among courtiers and nobles 
in the discharge of his duty, stood forth nobly for 
the cause of righteousness; and the eloquence of 


148 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


whose speech echoed the teachings of his virtuous 
life. The model ascetic, the ideal religious, the 
faithful priest, like another Daniel in his converse 
with the lords of his realm, was a living embodi- 
ment of the power and dignity which virtue alone 
imparts. 

Instead of pursuing this reflection to greater 
length, suffice it is to say, that the fervor of soul and 
austerity of habits, to which reference only has 
been made in the course of these pages, were dis- 
tinctive features of Father Orozco’s sanctity, not 
only during his career at the court of Spain, but 
also this same unvaried routine of severe discipline 
upon himself characterized the entire life of this 
saintly child of Augustine. “ Always,” says 
Father Rios, “ did the brethren and older prelates 
of this province, who flourished as contemporaries 
of Blessed Orozco, praise and extol his virtue. 
The sanctity of which he gave promise during his 
time in the novitiate, was abundantly realized after 
his profession, and faithfully reflected in every 
sphere of duty. When prior, a position which 
he held in several convents, his virtue seemed to 
shine with renewed splendor, while, with the bur- 
den of office, he always associated greater austeri- 
ties and penances, for the purpose not only of 
safeguarding his own perfections, but of animating 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 149 

also his brethren to lofty attainments of holi- 
ness. 

Yet with this austere manner of life, Blessed 
Alphonsus, at the age of seventy, was, apparently, 
a man of robust health, laboring in season and 
out of season, like another Paul, daily offering 
his body in holocaust. Severe and uncompro- 
mising towards himself, this privileged servant of 
God was the soul of gentleness in counselling and 
directing all who were brought within the radius 
of his salutary influence. His untiring solici- 
tude for the poor, his sympathy for the miseries 
of his fellow-creatures prove that his self-inflicted 
mortifications were not inspired by the natural 
promptings of a morose nature ; nor did the action 
of these penitential rigors upon the Saint’s life at 
all imbitter the inborn sweetness of his character. 

As we have already remarked, the preacher 
royal felt that he was called by God to labor for 
the perfection of his own soul, and the sanctifica- 
tion of the souls of his neighbors. The world 
to him, was the field, wherein he was to fulfil the 
twofold mission, whose ends he sought to further 
by playing the part of a severe task-master towards 
himself, while regulating the ways of others by 
the broad comprehensive principal of divine 
charity. 


150 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

BLESSED FATHER OROZCO IN HIS DEALINGS WITH 
THE POOR AND THE SICK. HIS SYMPATHY FOR 
THE SUFFERINGS OF HUMANITY. 

The Venerable Father Orozco cherished an un- 
bounded sympathy for the unfortunate ones of 
this life. His presence and companionship with 
nobles and men of wealth served only to intensify 
his love and devotion for the poor and needy, 
whom he regarded as the peculiar objects of his 
affection. To them was accorded the privilege 
of visiting his mysterious cell, and exploring to 
their satisfaction his humble apartments in the 
Convent of St. Philip. The superior of his 
order, knowing the habits and desires of the 
Preacher Royal, gave him full liberty to spend the 
moderate income received for services at court 
according as charity might suggest. But beyond 
this inconsiderable amount, Father Orozco pos- 
sessed the treasure of a tender and unselfish 
heart, which was inexhaustible in devising re- 
sources for alleviating the sufferings of the multi- 
tudes who gathered about his door. A favorite 
opinion of the Saint, and one which he reduced to 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 151 

practice whenever possible, taught, that alms to 
the poor should be sufficiently large to correspond 
with the needs of a day’s sustenance. Acting on 
this theory, he always endeavored to give at least 
ten pence to each poor suppliant. But the cheer- 
ing words of comfort, the sympathetic tear, the 
ever-patient attention to the story of sorrow, 
mirrored the living charity which consumed the 
soul of the Saint ; and these tokens of sincere 
affection contributed more than his slender mite 
to console and uplift those whose lives poverty 
had embittered and depressed. Though wearied 
with pressing duties, he never betrayed the slight- 
est annoyance at the repeated and unseasonable 
calls of beggars, whose necessities he termed 
blessed, because they afforded him the opportunity 
to do violence to self-love, and also to relieve the 
sufferings of his fellow-being. 

As a student of nature, no less than as a disciple, 
skilled in the teaching of a divine Master, Father 
Orozco had learned that the blessings of charity 
are enhanced, and its ends best served, alike for 
the giver and receiver, when we disregard, in the 
exercise of this heavenly virtue, the inequality 
which chance and circumstances have made in the 
relative conditions of men. Persuaded of this 
truth, Father Orozco maintained, in practice, and 


152 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


in his counsels to others, that the manner of giv- 
ing assistance is a more essential feature of 
Christian charity than the actual amount given. 

Possessing a refined and sensitive nature, the 
good priest was most guarded against wounding 
in any manner, the feelings of those who were 
driven by necessity to seek his assistance. Often- 
times, on hearing a knock at the door of his cell, 
he would rise immediately from prayer or study, 
and bestow with a benediction, a small pittance 
in the out stretched hand, without looking in the 
face of the poor creature whom he befriended. 
At times, when the effects of poverty were but too 
visibly depicted on the worn countenance of the 
passer-by, Father Orozco would himself call the 
poor soul, and conduct him to his room, where, 
after aiding him according as his needs required, 
he patiently instructed the forlorn outcast in the 
duties and obligations of a Christian. His apart- 
ments, near the main entrance of the convent, 
where silence was never broken but by the foot- 
steps moving to and fro, were admirably situated 
to enable the occupant to console and succor the 
friends of Jesus Christ. 

The sight of the poor, particularly of children, 
half naked and shivering in the winter’s blast, 
rent with grief the heart of Blessed Alphonsus. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


153 


“Many a morning during the winter,” says Father 
Sedano, “ I have seen him weep as he passed 
through the streets and found the poor without 
shoes or proper clothing.” On witnessing distress 
of this kind, he was wont to recall the words of 
the Prophet Isaias : “ When thou shalt see one 
naked, cover him and despise not thy own flesh.” 

Every morning at eleven o’clock, Father Orozco 
returned from the royal palace, after completing 
his duties for the day at court ; this hour he set 
aside for attention to the poor neglected children 
that wandered about the city of Madrid. It was 
a sight truly inspiring to see the venerable priest 
caressing the poor unkempt waifs, whom he 
chanced to discover weeping on the streets. 
“ Angel of God,” he would sa} r , “ why are you in 
tears ? Is it because you find me smiling ? ” In- 
stantly under the influence of his warm embrace 
and endearing words these sighs would cease. 
When Father Orozco learned that hunger or cold 
caused their flow of tears, he would take them by 
the hand, and leading them to the convent, say to 
the attendants : “ Place these angels at the fire- 

side,” while his own hands were busy preparing 
food for their relief. 

Nor did he wait till the poor besought him in 
words ; the needs of suffering humanity appealed 


154 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


to his charily, which was ever quick to discover 
the more deserving, who, through shame or self- 
respect, preferred to brood in silence over their 
misfortunes. 

The income of the preacher royal was far from 
cancelling his large outlay in charity ; but, in ad- 
dition to this amount, Father Orozco was made 
the medium for disbursing considerable sums ob- 
tained through his intercession from the officials 
at court. The high esteem in which those of 
rank and distinction held the popular preacher 
and saintly religious, was employed by him only 
to encourage their forbearance and generosity to- 
wards those of a humbler condition of life. To 
excite the charity of the nobles, Father Orozco, in 
his sermons delivered in the ro} r al chapel, was 
wont to picture the poor as representing our Sa- 
viour, Jesus Christ, who estimates the loyalty of 
the rich in his service, by the nature of their re- 
sponse to the pleadings of the needy ones of earth. 

But the heart of the great preacher was wholly 
absorbed in love for little children, who were con- 
strained to taste the bitterness of poverty before 
sin had blighted the native purity of their souls ; 
the sufferings of these sinless ones sensibly re- 
minded him of the distress endured by the Infant 
Saviour of the world. 


A LPHONS US OROZCO , 0. S. A. 155 

The heroic charity of Father Orozco was ac- 
knowledged long before his death precious in the 
sight of the Lord had spread his name far and 
wide. He was known as the great almoner of the 
court of Spain, and, in the city of Madrid, twenty- 
five years before his death, he was familiarly 
styled the Saint of San Felipe. 

We may obtain an insight to the devotion 
which Blessed Alphonsus cherished for the sick, 
from the testimony of one of the junior members 
of the convent, who frequently accompanied the 
holy religious on his visits to the hospitals. Thus 
speaks Father Sebastian Avallaneda, a fellow-re- 
ligious of Blessed Alphonsus : “ To me was given 
the task of carrying a basket, in which was placed 
such little delicacies as Father Orozco purchased 
for the sick on his way to the hospital. Our first 
visit was always made to the wards where the 
poor were confined. Alphonsus, on coming to the 
first cot, would kneel for some time with eyes up- 
lifted to Heaven in prayer. On rising he recited 
over the invalid the prayers for health, as found 
in the liturgy of the church, and concluded with 
the sign of the cross over the bed of affliction. 
With words of tenderness and sympathy, the wel- 
comed minister of charity endeavored to console 


156 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


the sufferers, and fill their minds with thoughts of 
God and of the joys of eternity. 

“ From the basket, carried by his attendant, 
Father Orozco judiciously bestowed on the sick 
those articles of food and medicine, which were 
expedient for the relief of their infirmities, and, to 
some, he gave offerings of money when the na- 
ture of their distress demanded this form of char- 
ity. Thus was the blessed servant of God accus- 
tomed to pass from bedside to bedside, on his er- 
rand of mercy, cheering the hearts of the poor in 
their sorrows and pains. His visits of this kind 
were a daily occurrence, and his very appearance 
at the threshold of the sick chamber, seemed to 
dispel the gloom of sadness, and diffuse the light 
of contentment on those who were languishing in 
pain and infirmity. Many, too, were found loud 
in their thanksgivings for the favors that followed 
his services and prayers in behalf of the invalid 
poor — favors so remarkable as clearly to indicate 
that the Lord, through the merits of this just man, 
was pleased to bestow the blessings of health upon 
those for whom intercession was made.” 

The Preacher Royal, in his discourses before the 
nobility, never lost an opportunity to accentuate 
the full meaning of that first beatitude, with which 
Jesus began His sermon on the mount : “ Blessed 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 157 

are the poor in spirit ; for theirs is the kingdom 
of Heaven.” And frequently would he remind 
his hearers of the Saviour’s admonition : “As long 
as you did it to one of these, my least brethren, 
you did it unto me.” — Matt. xxii. 40. 

This divine assurance, uttered by our Lord, was 
a living incentive that nerved the soul of Father 
Orozco to make sacrifice of time and feeling in his 
heroic efforts to respond to the appeals of poverty. 
At the same time, he was generous to a rare de- 
gree, in condoning the failings and unworthiness 
of those who besought his aid and patronage. For 
these self-same words of our Saviour, which made 
the heart of the holy preacher so sensible to the 
wretched condition of the poor, were also regarded 
by him as a guarantee against the- illusions and 
deceits of unworthy solicitors, who by their imposi- 
tion upon the unwary threatened to seal up the very 
fountains of charity. Father Orozco was content 
on seeing unmistakable evidence of need, to min- 
ister forthwith to its relief, without examining too 
closely the merits of the poor sufferers. Their 
miseries, more than their virtues, commended them 
to the saintly priest, who had witnessed as the re- 
sult of his bounty, how effectual was kindness, in 
melting the hearts of the depraved and outcast 
and in turning them from the beaten paths of sin. 


158 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Blessed Alphonsus’ advice to his fellow-reli- 
gious, Father Rios, embodied the principle by 
which he, himself, was guided in his services in 
the cause of charity : “ If you would commend 
yourself to God, be unfailing in your attention to 
the poor, because He, who became poor for our 
sake, always dwells among them.” 

Like the apostle of the Gentiles he was con- 
sumed with a zeal of the Lord and in his works 
more plainly than in his words, exclaimed: “Who 
is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, 
and I do not burn? ” — 2 Cor. xi. 28. He was never 
known to converse in choir, except when he wished 
to succor the poor, who sought refuge in the church ; 
for on hearing their murmurs or sighs, the vener- 
able father would say : “ Alas ! my poor creature, 
if you, who murmur, are ill, if you, who groan, 
are suffering, what have we that will serve for 
your relief?” An enduring evidence of the di- 
vine flame of charity, that consumed the soul of 
Blessed Alphousus, is extant in his own writings. 
The yearnings of love, the vehement desires ex- 
pressed in their pages, receive new force and value 
from the testimony of concurrent facts in the life 
of the blessed writer, which were carefully weighed 
by the Holy See during the process of his beatifi- 
cation. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 159 

Alplionsus was in the habit of saying : “ It is 
no small grace of God that leads us within the 
portals of the hospital to discharge works of 

mercy Great are the blessings, which 

Christ bestows on that dwelling wherein illness is 
found, for there our patience is exercised and our 
charity augmented.” 

The sweet ejaculatory prayer of our blessed 
servant of God, copied from his treatise on the 
Spiritual Life forms a fit ending to this chapter, 
in which we have endeavored to outline some 
characteristics of the Saint’s charity. “ O my 
good Jesus, would that it were in my power to 
prepare, for Thy holy love’s sake, a table of plenty 
for all the poor. O Lord, would that I could visit 
all the hospitals and heal the sick therein, ransom 
the captives, clothe the needy and naked, harbor 
the stranger, and provide burial for the neglected 
dead. What happiness were mine, O Lord, could 
I but counsel and direct all men in the way of 
Heaven, reprove and correct those who offend 
Thee, and, after comforting the afflicted, forgiving 
all who have injured me, and enduring patiently 
miseries of every kind, finally, like the glorious 
St. Stephen, crown the labors of my life by pray- 
ing for my enemies. This grace grant me, O 
Lord, through the merits of Thy sacred passion.” 


160 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XIX. 

THE SANCTITY OF FATHER OROZCO REVEALED IN 
HIS MANNER OF PREACHING THE WORD OF 
GOD. 

We have heretofore portrayed the character of 
Blessed Alphonsus from an acquaintance, chiefly 
based on a careful study of his interior life. Our 
sympathy and esteem have been enlisted by the 
shining example of holiness, which he presented 
within the circle of the monastic life, where his 
soul was so grievously tried in the crucible of bit- 
terness. Through fierce and persistent struggles 
of the spirit, the holy religious has at length 
passed to the realization of the highest ideal of 
earthly happiness, and to the attainment of that 
haven of peace and contentment, which is a sweet 
foretaste of the joys of the beatific vision. 

But we must now accompany the venerable 
Father Orozco in his withdrawal from the seclu- 
sion of the cloister, and, viewing him in his more 
intimate relation with the world, we must judge 
him by the impress he makes upon his new and 
less spiritual surroundings. His future services 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 161 

are required in the court of Philip II. of Spain, 
and, in quality of Preacher Royal, his labors will 
command our attention, and perhaps, challenge 
our admiration. From a hidden and retired life, 
so agreeable to his natural disposition and reli- 
gious training, Alphonsus was suddenly summoned 
to stand before the eyes of the world on a very 
pinnacle of glory. 

For this post of honor he was admirably equipped. 
Like his divine model, Jesus, he first dwelt in 
solitude ; mortifying his bodily appetites, and 
lifting his pure hands to Heaven in prayer, before 
he ventured by word or work to point out to the 
leaders among men, the narrow way of virtue. 
He is the tried soldier, who in many a severe or- 
deal, has shared the lot of his crucifed Master and 
tasted the bitterness of a spiritual conflict. Long 
since had he learned to trample under foot the 
world, and its deceitful glory ; hence the sudden 
transition from the obscure condition of a humble 
friar, to take rank among the princes of earth 
does not dazzle his serene thoughts so long fixed 
upon God, nor alter the constancy of his sterling 
virtue. 

Born rich, Alphonsus Orozco had voluntarily 
chosen poverty as his portion on earth, in order to 
attain to a closer fellowship with Jesus. When 
11 


162 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


young, the brightest prospects were unfolded to 
his ambition, yet unlike the young man of the 
Gospel, Alphonsus was not deterred from the path 
of perfection by any greed for his vast possessions. 
Cheerfully he sacrificed the wealth and position 
which the world offered him, and unreservedly 
consecrated his life and talents to the service of 
his Heavenly Master. Naught had power to re- 
strain the ardor of his soul or change his settled 
purpose to embrace the perfect state, which is 
hedged in by the vows of poverty, chastity and 
obedience. The consideration of friends and par- 
ents, the enticing offers of the world — all were 
forgotten in his desire to save his soul. The faith 
and allegiance, which the young novice had 
plighted to God when kneeling before his saintly 
prior, Thomas of Villanova, will remain firm and 
unbroken till death. 

The soul of Alphonsus was too noble to be over- 
powered by sensual pleasure ; too zealous and 
courageous to be thwarted in its aims by lordly 
patronage or vain flattery. He spoke from a pro- 
found sense of duty and as one having authority 
in the temple of God, whether his hearers included 
the king and the nobility of the realm, or merely 
comprised the poor and unfortunate inmates of 
hospitals. His sermons were conspicuous by their 


ALPIIOXSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 163 

tone of holy liberty and evangelical simplicity, 
and were wholly devoid of that artificial fringe, 
which might be expected to adorn the words of a 
court preacher. 

The love of novelty, which consumed the ora- 
tors of his day, numbered its votaries even among 
the expounders of the Sacred Word. From the 
beginning, Father Orozco strenuously labored to 
destroy the baneful influence of this folly. His 
brilliant career, as preacher, from his early efforts 
at Salamanca in the services of his order, was char- 
acterized by an utter disregard for ostentation and 
vain applause. At all times, without fear or favor 
next to the salvation of souls, the eloquence of, 
Blessed Alphonsus was exerted in furthering the 
cause of sacred oratory in its finest and highest 
type. 

Among his letters there is found one con- 
taining the following passage, which breathes 
his earnest thoughts upon the subject of preach- 
ing : “ There is nothing to which I can better 
liken a preacher, devoid of charity and the 
spirit of Jesus Christ, than to a blunderbuss, 
charged with powder but without shot. Beyond 
mere noise and fright, no real results are effected 
by either. In this manner, I have known 
many to go away frightened after a sermon, but 


164 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


not converted. Some again leave the church in 
admiration of the preacher, but without contri- 
tion of heart, or a purpose of forsaking the ways 
of sin. The reason of this is, that the sermon, 
which often is a mere flow of words and entirely 
based on the principles of rhetorical elegance, is 
lacking in that force and virtue, which proceeds 
from the love of God, who alone gives us power 
over our enemies on earth. The words of the 
Apostle Paul convey a truth, which ought to 
strike great fear to the soul of every preacher : 

‘ If I speak with the tongues of men and of 
angels, and have not charity, I am become as 
sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.’ Alas ! for 
the misery of him, whom the scriptures liken to a 
bell that wears itself out in tolling and calling 
others to church, and must itself remain with- 
out.” 

The poor who have the Gospel preached to them 
was one of the signs by which our Saviour de- 
noted the reign of Christ on earth. Father 
Orozco, in the discharge of those duties which de- 
tained him at court, did not in the least forget, 
nor neglect to regulate his conduct by the lesson 
contained in this gentle admonition. Announcing 
the truths of Holy Writ to those oppressed with 
poverty he held to be that most solemn obligation 


ALPHOKSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


165 


which devolved upon him in virtue of his holy 
priesthood and religious profession. Accordingly, 
he never failed to visit, at least once a week, 
every poor hospital and convent within the city 
of Madrid. On certain feast-days, he was known 
to preach at stations of this kind three or four 
sermons, before returning to the convent of St. 
Philip. In humble, despised places, where ora- 
tors of rank disdained to raise their voices, Al- 
phonsus found delight in expounding the princi- 
ples of holy religion, and there continued to di- 
late, at greater length, on the beauties of the true 
faith. Often was he known to enter the church, 
and, seeing only one engaged in devout prayer, 
discourse with that unction and fervor, which 
were manifest in his sermons at the royal chapel. 

“ God forbid,” he writes, “ that we should ever 
search after pulpits and congregations for the sake 
of the honors and emolument attached thereto. 
Do I say, must not seek them ? No, not even de- 
sire them. 4 Bear in mind that pride lies in wait 
to rob every good work of its merit,’ as our 
Father Augustine remarks in his Rule. Adopt, as 
a general principle of guidance, that the less our 
labors are esteemed by the world, the more they 
are usually prized by God, and the greater is their 
merit.” 


166 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Relying on the mj r stic charm, which the Holy 
Spirit communicates to the words of those who 
seek not their own glory, the venerable preacher 
in the court of Philip II., did not trust to the art 
of oratory to accomplish his masterful influence 
over his listeners. The model of charity, the 
prodigy of self-denial wielded a power, to which 
words cannot give expression. Biographers have 
taken the Saint’s words in reference to John the 
Baptist, as an apt illustration of his own bearing 
and demeanor in the pulpit. How admirable to 
see the holy religious standing in the presence of 
the people clothed with sack-cloth, his face bronzed 
by the desert sun, his brow furrowed, his form 
emaciated by years of rigorous penance ! How 
many of those who beheld him must have been 
struck with amazement ! Who would not have 
been confounded at the sight, and esteem the man 
rather an angel, by reason of his penance and 
austere holiness ! A life so mortified, even with- 
out words accompanying, sounds the key-note 
that melts the heart of sinners. 

During the process of Alphonsus’ beatification, 
abundant testimony from contemporary sources 
was produced in high praise of his sermons. He 
spoke as an apostolic man, without the least arti- 
fice, with remarkable simplicity of expression, and 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


167 


with a fervor intensified by his zeal for the salva- 
tion of souls. 

But above the matter and form of his address, 
the acknowledged sanctity of his life, and his well- 
known charity for the poor, lent a magic force to 
all his utterances which few could resist. Among 
the courtiers of the royal palace, though many 
were slow to imitate his example, all loudly ex- 
tolled his virtue. King Philip II. accorded his 
preacher the honors and reverence due to a saint, 
and the whole court vied in lavishing upon him 
admiration and praise. Not without reason, was 
blessed Alphonsus said to possess that indefinable 
magnetism over all classes of people, which St. 
Augustine and St. Francis exerted in their days. 
His earnest words seemed to transmit to the souls 
of his hearers the divine flame of charity, with 
which his own soul was consumed. 

Alphonsus was truly the ecstatic orator, whom 
the fervor of the moment carried beyond himself. 
It is related that during the peroration of a ser- 
mon, wherein he dwelt upon man’s folly in barter- 
ing the beauty of God for the slime of the earth, 
he broke forth in the exclamation: “ Souls, what 
are you doing f ” These simple words, oft repeated 
by the saintly preacher, transported him in ecstasy, 


168 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


thrilled the hearts of the entire audience, and drew 
from them a copious flood of tears. 

Thus was Spain blest with a noble exponent of 
the true faith in days full of peril to our holy re- 
ligion. The voice of Father Orozco fearlessly 
echoed in the halls of the king, that teaching upon 
which rests not alone the Church of God, but also 
the safety of nations and the thrones of em- 
pires. But, above all, his untiring devotion and 
spirit of self-sacrifice were the most eloquent ar- 
guments to silence those who sought to gainsay 
the Gospel he preached. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


169 


CHAPTER XX. 

THE LABORS OF BLESSED ALPHONSUS OROZCO 
VIEWED IN THEIR RESULTS UPON HIS AGE AND 
COUNTRY. 

In the exercise of the office of preacher, Blessed 
Alphonsus, as we have already seen, was admira- 
bly equipped to win distinction and renown. 
Preaching the word of God was that special field 
of labor, in which Providence had marked out for 
him an exalted destiny, and in the fulfilment of 
its duties his untiring efforts redounded to the ed- 
ification of the faithful and the salvation of 
souls. 

Words lack power to extol a mission so sublime, 
as that which commended itself to the zeal of 
Father Orozco — a mission, in which circumstances 
singularly adapted for doing good, combine 1 in ren- 
dering his labor fruitful in lasting results. For 
truly beautiful in all times are the feet of them 
that preach the gospel of peace and bring to all 
men of good will glad tidings of heavenly things. 
They are instruments of the Lord, chosen in se- 
crets of his wisdom, to effect the marvelous work 


170 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


of the conversion of souls. They come as ambas- 
sadors sent from heaven, to establish its treaties of 
alliance with the children of earth. Every office 
of human creation pales beneath the dignity of 
their divine calling. In their right hand, the law- 
ful successors of the early apostles bear the cre- 
dentials of that self-same authority with which the 
divine Man-God invested his followers on the sum- 
mit of Mount Olivet. Like the humblest priest of 
the land, the Preacher Royal, in the court of Philip, 
boldly set forth the faith that was in him, not by 
reason of the title he held by favor of his king, but 
rather in virtue of the commission of Him who 
hath said : “ Who heareth you, heareth Me ; who 
despiseth you, despiseth Me.” 

The miraculous birth of Blessed Alphonsus 
Orozco, his immaculate youth, his prolonged suf- 
fering from severe infirmities of body, his gloomy 
and foreboding anxieties of mind, the favors and 
apparitions of the Queen of Heaven, his entire life, 
at once penitent and angelic — all are grouped 
in a beautiful cluster about him, whom kings hon- 
ored, and reveal the source whence the Preacher 
Royal derived his power and mastery over the hu- 
man heart. 

It is evident to the student of history that Blessed 
Father Orozco, in his eventful life of ninety-one 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


171 


years, flourished in the most prosperous da} T s of 
heroic Spain. The world has not known an age 

to rival in glory that brilliant era, which dawned 

* 

with meridian splendor, on the incomparable Queen 
Isabel, and cast its last rays of lustre about the 
court of the prudent king, Philip II. The six- 
teenth century shall be forever memorable in the 
history of Spain, as it links the nation with 
grand deeds and achievements, which shall trans- 
mit to all time the glory of that classic age. 

It is, however, foreign to our purpose to dilate 
upon Spain’s golden era, but it will not be out of 
place here briefly to outline the beautiful religious 
picture, which that magnanimous country, in the 
days of her prosperity, presented to the world. 

Then did Toledo’s archiepiscopal cross become 
the standard, which was lifted above the crescent 
on the walls of the Alhambra of Granada ; and 
that victorious land, in the hour of its triumph, 
knew no other altar than that of the one, true 
God. The one, true faith illumined the minds of 
its people, while the sole, rightful Lord of Heaven 
and earth reigned in the heart of the nation, over 
whose length and breadth the Catholic monarchy 
extended its potent arm. 

Through the strength which victory imparts, 
through the spirit and fortitude which divine 


172 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


faith communicates, and under the guidance of 
an invisible power, the children of Spain, fearless 
of danger, launched their barques on the un- 
ploughed seas, in search of regions, wherein to 
plant the cross, the standard of their faith, beside 
the banner of their proud fatherland. America, 
vast and spacious of territory, a land of enchant- 
ment, the remnant perhaps of the primeval earthly 
paradise, became the treasure of their research, 
and remains an enduring monument to Spain, her 
crown and her reward, to attest her people’s 
greatness and religious magnanimity. 

As from Judea of old, these indefatigable apos- 
tles went forth speedily into strange countries, 
spreading over the broad plains and piercing the 
thick forests of the new world ; they dethroned 
the unclean idols of superstition and ignorance, 
to raise upon their ruins, temples to the one, holy 
God — to preach a religion inspired of heaven and 
confirmed by the light of science. All the Indies 
listened in amazement to the voice of the Span- 
iards, and in the rich and majestic tongue of 
Teresa, of the Cid and Cervantes learned the 
doctrines of the Catholic religion. Providence 
had chosen the inhabitants of this blessed land, 
(honored with the footprints of the Virgin 
Mother,) to accomplish the fulfilment of the pre- 


A LPIIONS US OROZCO , 0. S. A. 173 

diction of tlie royal prophet, when he announced 
that the voice of the Lord’s messengers would be 
heard in every land, and that His words would be 
sounded unto the farthest confines of the world. 

The Lord could not but have foreknown, that, 
at the rebellious outcry of a wretched apostate, 
entire nations would turn from the way of truth. 
Hence Providence had designed other regions, 
more spacious still, on which to bestow the riches 
of his mercy, whose inhabitants gladly embraced 
that faith which, following the example of Ger- 
many, the half of Europe abjured. In lieu of the 
holy shrines of the old continent, which ruthless 
hands had, in a mad hour, pillaged and destroyed, 
the new world was fast being dotted with altars, 
around which, mingled in reverent spirit, the 
young neophytes of the wilds with the persecuted 
of every land. 

The tree of faith, transplanted to this virgin 
soil, grew and fructified as when first moistened by 
the blood of the Redeemer and the Christian mar- 
tyrs. True, indeed, it has expanded, not unknown 
to dangers, but, in the face of the formidable as- 
saults of the so-called reformers, who developed 
remarkable skill in wielding the weapons of cal- 
umny, the fruits of her conquest are abundant. 
To day, from America’s frozen north to her hot- 


174 LIFE OF BLESSED 

test climes, their names are legion, who, in differ- 
ent tongues, maintain the true Faith intact. 

In that critical hour of the sixteenth century. 
Heaven seemed to have raised up Spain for the 
defence of the Holy Church ; and placed in the 
hands of that generous nation, the sword of de- 
liverance. That country could not contribute 
more than the prayers of the Saints, the learning 
of her theologians, the treasures of her wealth, 
and the blood of her valiant sons ; yet, all these 
she freely offered in holocaust to God, in proof of 
her unswerving faith in those sacred truths, 
preached to her by the Apostles. 

St. Teresa echoed the sentiment of her nation, 
when, on completing each new convent, she ex- 
claimed : “ One more temple to replace the many 
which heretics have destroyed.” The life of her 
ecstatic co-laborer, St. John of the Cross, is a 
marvel to contemplate ; while St. Peter of Alcan- 
tara, moved by the sad spectacle occasioned by the 
loss of faith, journeyed with naked feet and un- 
covered head, to Rome, to beg permission to con- 
vert the cliffs of his native country into monaster- 
ies, and its caves into cells, wherein he might 
gather holy souls to pray for the return and salva- 
tion of those, who were deluded and perverted by 
strange doctrines. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


175 


No other age or country has given such evi- 
dence of sanctity, as was apparent in Spain dur- 
ing the sixteenth century in her multitudes of 
saintly children, whose prayers pierced Heaven 
with a holy and unceasing violence, and stayed 
the wrathful hand of God’s vengeance. 

Salamanca, Burgos, Valladolid, and lastly Val- 
encia heard the spirit of the Lord, speaking through 
the lips of our own St. Thomas of Villanova, 
who, with other faithful guardians of our Chris- 
tian heritage stemmed the tide of infidelity which 
threatened to shipwreck the Bark of Peter. 

In those days, as observes Bossuet, there was 
felt throughout all Europe, an intense need of re- 
form. Spain was blest with men of apostolic zeal, 
who, by word and deed, effected within her realm, 
the needed reform, for which the master minds of 
every kingdom were striving. To attain this ob- 
ject, Germany inaugurated measures which were 
extravagant in device, abortive in results, and 
hellish in nature. With these, the clamor for 
reformation served only to augment the disorder, 
while Spain accomplished a true reform in the 
midst of silence and peace, under the guidance of 
men, to whom God entrusted the destiny of His 
church ; men of heroic virtue and self-denial, as 


176 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


exemplified in the reformers of Carmel and other 
ancient religious institutions. 

From the same chivalrous nation of that age 
has sprung that intrepid soldier of Christ, Ignatius 
of Loyola, who, in his books of meditations alone, 
has given to the world a treasure of incalculable 
worth, that has transformed innumerable hearts. 

But more than all else, the illustrious Society 
of Jesus, that giant force of Catholicism, the em- 
bodiment of a power above the work of man, the 
insuperable barrier to heresy, the balm to wounded 
society, sheds a ray of untarnished glory over 
Spain, whose son conceived its existence and 
whose land gave it birth. From its ranks have 
risen wise and holy men, who, like flowers that 
bloom on fertile soil, have wafted the sweet odor 
of their virtues beyond mountains and deserts. 

As the Church’s fearless vanguard, this society 
of true followers of a heavenly Master stands 
forth, an organized body, against which, in every 
age, have been directed the fiercest assaults of ir- 
religion ; yet it still perpetuates the mission of its 
Holy Patriarch, and offers undeniable proof to 
friend and foe, that there still lives in its children 
the self-same spirit, which animated St. Francis of 
Borgia, St. Francis Xavier, Alphonsus Rodriguez 
and other venerable servants of God, whose names 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


177 


are immortalized by their association with the 
founder of so glorious an institution. 

Equally renowned are the pleiads of illustrious 
men, which may be formed by merely citing the 
names of those eminent theologians, whose bril- 
liant attainments shone forth in the council of 
Trent. Oxford’s university did homage to the 
genius of Scotus, while Spain’s own famed schools 
of Salamanca and Alcala produced men, like 
Father Luis de Leon and his disciple Suarez, whose 
transcending powers were exercised in waging 
ceaseless warfare against the principles of Protes- 
tantism. 

The much maligned king, Philip II., but echoed 
the sentiment of his subjects in the celebrated and 
memorable saying that, “ He preferred to be de- 
spoiled of his crown, rather than reign among 
heretics.” The spirit of Spain’s national and re- 
ligious life in those memorable days is apparent in 
the signal triumphs gained at Oran, Tunis and 
particularly at Lepanto, over the children of Is- 
mael, who threatened to overrun all Europe. 
Clearly do these events indicate that the strength 
of Catholicism in those dismal hours was in- 
trenched in the warlike mountains of the Iberian 
peninsula. “ There was a man sent from God 
whose name was John,” declared the pontiff, Pius 
12 


178 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


V., alluding to the brilliant achievements of the 
Spaniards, under John of Austria, in the splendid 
victory gained over Ottoman power on the waters 
of Lepanto. The brave arm, which was strength- 
ened in wresting its own country from the grasp 
of invaders, was potent for success against the 
eastern hordes, who sought to raise the crescent 
on every plain in Christendom. 

Men, like our blessed Father Orozco, made 
these achievements possible. Profoundly reli- 
gious, they exercised a powerful ascendancy over 
the nobility and people of Spain, and, by voice, 
pen and example, shaped the channels of national 
ambition. The influence of their virtues invaded 
the court circle, whose votaries were regenerated 
and enlivened by the genial warmth of religion. 
Thus was the empire of Spain, that centre of 
Catholic life, that strong citadel of Christianity, 
invigorated and upheld amidst the upheavals of 
dynasties and the crumbling of thrones. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


179 


CHAPTER XXL 

FATHER OROZCO PUBLISHES A TREATISE ON THE 
INSTITUTIONS OF ROYALTY — ITS DEDICATION 
TO PHILIP II — A GLANCE AT THE SAINTS OF 
SPAIN CONTEMPORARY WITH BLESSED AL- 
PHONSUS. 

Living and effectual is the Word of God, says 
Holy Writ,* and more piercing than a two-edged 
sword ; and reaching unto the division of the soul 
and the spirit, it cleaves to the very marrow of the 
bones and is a discerner of the thoughts and in- 
tents of the heart. But this life-giving wound, 
which the ungarnished truth produces in the spirit, 
must be continually renewed, in order to secure 
wholesome results and deliverance from the poison- 
ous atmosphere infecting our surroundings. Like 
the incision which the surgeon’s knife makes in a 
diseased member of the body, the action of the 
Word of God upon the soul must be invigorated 
by a process akin to that of cauterization; for the 
gentle admonitions and threats of direst vengeance 
are soon effaced from the memory in the hurry of 


* Deb. iv., 21. 


180 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


life, amidst the caressing delights and enchanting 
songs of a deceitful world. 

So clearly did Blessed Alphonsus perceive the 
truth of this assertion, and so eagerly did he desire 
the spiritual welfare of the royal family, that, in 
his zeal as Preacher Royal, he was not content with 
allowing the members of the nobility to listen 
merely to the elegance of those living words which 
fell from his lips all enkindled as they were with the 
fire of God’s love. Father Orozco indeed had reason 
to fear, that his sermons, notwithstanding his rare 
gifts of oratory and zeal for the honor of God, fell 
short of their aim, and that his words oftentimes 
were at the mercy of the moment, and seldom 
stirred the deeper emotions of the hearts of his 
princely hearers. 

Impressed with these convictions, one of the 
first tasks which our fervent orator proposed to 
himself, on assuming the title of his office, was to 
publish a volume in which he set forth an honest 
and clear exposition of those principles, which it 
became him, as minister of God, to preach and de- 
fend from the pulpit. Experience had dictated to 
Father Orozco the prudent course of directing his 
thoughts through the medium of the Latin, which 
language was well understood by the nobility of 
that age. Thus, in addressing himself directly to 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 181 

the king and nobles of the empire upon matters 
which necessarily required rebuke for their usurpa- 
tions of power, he enjoyed a greater facility and 
freedom of expression in censuring the faults of 
those in authority, without arousing the indigna- 
tion of the people at large. Therefore, accompa- 
nying this treatise upon civil government, the 
Preacher Royal issued a pamphlet entitled, “ Insti- 
tute Regalis,” which was especially intended for 
the perusal of princes and rulers. 

Under this head he speaks with the candor and 
charity of one, who, like Peter of old, deems it bet- 
ter to obey God than man. Basing his arguments 
upon the teachings of Holy Writ, he strives to im- 
press upon rulers the sacred character of their va- 
rious duties. The texts of Scripture he illustrates 
with examples and incidents memorable in history; 
and finally considers, under three separate heads, 
the special obligations which devolve upon those 
in authority. 

First, Father Orozco points out the virtue and 
knowledge which a king should possess in or- 
der to govern himself, and keep his soul in ways 
of righteousness. He reviews, under the second 
heading, how a ruler of people must manage, in a 
Christian manner, his own household and regulate 
the conduct of his immediate dependents. Lastly, 


182 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Blessed Alphonsus unfolds the principles upon 
which kings and nobles should conduct the affairs 
of the nation, through the administration of justice 
and the maintenance of peace within the borders 
of their respective territories. 

“ First of all,” he says, “ know you, who are 
leaders of men, that, if you were born lords with 
vast possessions for your inheritance, you did not 
enter this world gifted with wisdom. The evil, 
which we have inherited from Adam, has also 
tainted you, who by nature share equally with us 
the punishment of ignorance, weakness, and an in- 
clination to evil. Hence let me implore the kings 
to understand ; and receive instruction, you that 
judge the earth. Serve ye the Lord with fear; and 
rejoice unto him with trembling.”* 

It becomes the royal majesty to bow to the do- 
minion of wisdom. Nothing is more obvious and 
in harmony with the fitness of things, than that 
they, who are placed over others in office and 
authority, should also excel in learning and gifts 
of intellect. ‘ The strength and safety of a peo- 
ple,’ says Solomon, ‘ is in a wise king.’ To you 
the Scriptures offer many lessons of the danger- 
ous frequency, with which power, being made 
drunk with the fumes of honor, had rebelled 
* Psalm ii., 10-11. 


ALPHONSTJS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 183 

against the laws of God. Though robed in regal 
splendor, that king who is divested of the virtues 
which enoble the poorest peasant of the realm, is 
a most unkingly figure.” From the king Father 
Orozco turns to address his remarks to the nobil- 
ity that surrounded the court of Philip II. “ It be- 
comes you, my lords,” he says, “ to practice the 
first lessons of rule, in the management of your 
homes, that, governing a few, you eventually may 
guide with wisdom the destiny of large estates. 
As an admonition in reference to your family, let 
me beseech you never to forget the curse that be- 
fell a very discreet king through his unrighteous 
love ; well, too, and eloquently should the fate of 
Heli speak to yon upon the need of guarding with 
a jealous eye the training of your children.” 

“Though the courtiers may flatter you, and 
may appear seemingly loyal and disinterested, re- 
member what an inspired monarch has written for 
your instruction : ; Let not the doers of iniquity 
dwell in my house.’ Here you are warned 
against promoting to rank, any one who loves 
not God ; for a rebel and traitor to his Creator, 
will not prove loyal to an earthly prince. We 
have examples numerous and sad of the corrup- 
tion and ruin that invades the family life, through 
your excesses in banquets and entertainments. 


184 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


These would be in a large measure obviated, 
should the nobility, particularly the ladies of rank, 
pander less to fashion’s false goddess, and strive, 
rather to adorn themselves with that modesty so 
becoming to those, who, at baptism, have re- 
nounced earthly pomp and vanity.” 

“It is the duty of rulers, to frame such laws, as 
are calculated to redound to the welfare and peace 
of the kingdom ; for that which is ordained to 
injure the public good, or designed solely in the 
interest of him who rules, is not law, but tyranny, 
which warrants the revolution of states, and the 
rebellion of subjects. Besides the formation of 
just laws, the solemn duty devolves upon those 
who are vested with authority, to abrogate written 
codes of wickedness, or evil customs, that owe 
their origin to the malice of men.” 

“But since equitable laws avail nothing unless 
put into execution, Blessed Father Orozco dilates 
upon the need of skilled judges, to administer the 
statutes of the kingdom. “ In their hands are en- 
trusted the life and honor of every civilian ; 
hence, let them be God-fearing, truth-loving, and 
foes of avarice. All this, Catholic King, is in 
your power to accomplish, if you esteem duty 
rather than persons.” 

“ Let the ruler of a people remember, that his 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


185 


position has placed upon him an obligation to 
foster a study of the liberal arts. Nor is the obli- 
gation better satisfied than by his personal devo- 
tion to their pursuit, with a laudable ambition to 
excel ; for nothing can be more praiseworthy, 
than to see the nobility of a kingdom shine in the 
light of their knowledge and refinement.” 

Let Catholic princes vindicate to themselves 
the title of Clement, as something dearer, than 
the crown of metal they wear. The oil, with 
which they were anointed, possesses no virtue be- 
3 r ond other liquids ; but clemency raises their do- 
minion to so lofty an eminence, as to subjugate 
souls, and gain the hearts of the people. Lastly, 
and more than all else, understand that the power, 
reposed in the Yicar of Jesus Christ, is higher 
than earth, and to him, princes and vassals alike 
owe allegiance.” 

We have here commemorated a few character- 
istics of the excellent programme of government, 
which Blessed Alphonsus clearly sets forth in a 
book dedicated to Philip II. of Spain. The 
favor and esteem, which this little volume re- 
ceived from the king and nobles, exemplify the 
ascendancy for good, which the Preacher Royal 
had gained upon their affections ; while the spirit 
of liberty and enlightenment, which its pages 


186 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


breathe, does credit to that much maligned age 
and country. 

The principles, for whose maintenance he con- 
tends in this work, were far from flattering to 
royalty, and least calculated to uphold the doc- 
trine of the divine right- of kings ; yet, clothed 
with that charity which prompted their utterance, 
the loving rebuke of Father Orozco carried no 
bitterness, nor kindled the fierce passions of men, 
whose lust of rule he sought to restrain. The 
charm of gentleness was inseparably associated 
with the teachings of Father Orozco, whose words 
seemed powerless to offend. Providence had 
taught him the folly of wounding the pride of 
those for whose reform he was struggling. With 
Belial lie could enter into no league, nor could he 
make truce with sin ; yet, he sought not to break 
the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. 

An ideal condition of affairs did not confront 
the Preacher Royal at the Court of Philip ; nor 
was he governed by Utopian ideas of reform. In 
his charity, he sought to ameliorate the evils, by 
infusing into the minds of the lords and their 
monarch, a knowledge of those divine truths, 
which preserve and sustain the national life of a 
people. Truly does Father Orozco in the quality 
of moderator of kings, deserve to be called the 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


187 


salt of the earth. The decaying members, that 
clang in disfigurement about the court of the 
Spanish monarch, were invigorated, and the in- 
tegrity of morals safeguarded, by the wholesome 
influence of his words and example. The fear- 
less defender of liberty against oppression, of 
right against might, was himself a living realiza- 
tion of the power, which moral forces possess, in 
allaying prejudices and curbing the ambition of 
wealth. 

Meanwhile that Father Orozco was laboring at 
the Court of Philip II., to accomplish the purity 
of morals and defend the Christian principles, 
which cement the bonds of society, St. Teresa was 
nurturing the sanctity of many chosen souls, whom 
she withdrew from the commerce of the world, and 
gathered into holy seclusion. Forgetful of all 
things human, she was wrapt in visions of revela- 
tion, through the knowledge of which, she has 
spoken truths never before heard ; and rose to so 
lofty an eminence of sanctity as to enjoy, in con- 
templation, a foretaste of that quiet and union with 
God, which are made perfect with the saints in 
Heaven. Meanwhile, also dwelt St. John in the 
desert of Duruelo, all engrossed in contemplating 
the mysteries and delights of the cross, breathing 
the fervor of his soul in lines of angelic and inim- 


188 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


itable lyric. The same age and nation were also 
witness to Peter of Alcantara, hieing himself from 
the converse and association of men, and entering 
into the solitudes of the forests, whose uninhabit- 
able wilds were made the altar of sacrifice on which 
the Saint unceasingly offered an oblation of a pure 
soul to God in requital for the sins of his people. 

Then, too, rose up the athletes of the Society of 
Jesus, who, going forth from the Iberian penin- 
sula, invaded every city of the world, and secured 
rich conquests to the Christian faith. All these 
agents of Heaven joined in waging a holy warfare 
against the monster evils, which, in that age, im- 
periled the safety of religion ; and, by example 
more effectually than by words, invited the faith- 
ful of every rank to turn their thoughts and de- 
sires to that life eternal, the fruition of which, 
swallows up all earthly hopes. 

Blessed Father Orozco, with all the mien and 
aspect of the early anchorites of the desert, was 
only one of the legion, whose deeds bespoke 
the fullness of the faith and charity, which pos- 
sessed the souls of those who fought the battle of 
Holy Church in that age of social and religious 
upheavals. Their names relieve the dark stains 
which have marred many a page of history, and 
the memory of their deeds and virtues is the most 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 189 

eloquent argument to silence those who deem it 
their righteous duty, in the cause of religion and 
humanity, to traduce the inviolable sanctity of 
that faith, which has been perpetuated through 
the zeal and sacrifice of these Catholic heroes. 


190 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XXII. 

PRODIGIES WROUGHT THROUGH THE INTERCES- 
SION OF BLESSED ALPHONSUS. FOUNDATION 
OF THE CONVENT OF AUGUSTINIAN NUNS AT 
TALA VERA. 

We have heretofore exemplified the spirit of 
penance, prayer, and never-failing charity for 
mankind, which enlivened all the undertakings of 
Blessed Alphonsus ; and, so closely were these same 
virtues interwoven with the labors of the holy 
preacher, that they contributed largely to the suc- 
cess of his efforts in behalf of religion. The voice 
of Alphonsus before the people emitted no hollow 
sound ; his own conduct was the noblest ideal of 
all that he taught, and the words on his lips were 
inspired by those sentiments of holy love, which 
welled up from the depths of his fervent soul. 
But more than all else, did the prodigies wrought 
through his intercession, tend, not only to enhance 
the influence of his example, but also, to empha- 
size the meaning of all the utterances of the 
Preacher Royal. 

The sacred Scriptures say that the just man 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


191 


lives by faith, and assures us with divine warrant, 
that a living belief will move even mountains. 
Truly may Blessed Alphonsus be said to have 
possessed the fullness of this divine gift, which in- 
fused itself into all his actions. His devotions 
and holy exercises formed an unbroken union 
with God ; while his earnest desires, ever intent 
on alleviating the wants of the needy, centred his 
thoughts and affections upon the Lord of bounty, 
in whose mercy the holy almoner had a childlike 
trust, and to whom he had recourse with never- 
failing confidence. 

Frequently was his lively faith rewarded in 
manners clearly miraculous ; for God thus deigned 
to bestow divine sanction on the labors of his 
blessed apostle at court, in order to give him an 
ascendancy for good over those whom he was un- 
tiring in exhorting to virtue. The city of Madrid, 
the Court of Philip II., for whose betterment Al- 
phonsus had long and earnestly contended, be- 
came the scenes of his many deeds of wonder, the 
accomplishment of which transcended the power 
of man. Among the numerous miracles attributed 
to the prayers of Blessed Alphonsus, were com- 
prised the recovery of health to many who were 
hopelessly ill, as well as several incidents of the 
restoration of the dead to life. During the process 


192 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


of his beatification, a large list of well authenti- 
cated facts attesting the wonderful results of 
Father Orozco’s prayers were submitted to the 
scrutiny of the Holy See, and were pronounced by 
her authoritative tribunal worthy of every credence. 
Of these, we shall here subjoin mention of a few 
most noteworthy, which were presented in the 
summary of Madrid. 

Among the officers of high rank at the Court of 
Philip was a certain Captain Alonzo, who had 
won distinction in the struggle to reclaim the 
kingdom of Granada from the grasp of the Moors. 
In consequence of the hardships then and there 
endured, he was afflicted with constant and severe 
pain in the head, which the treatment of skilled 
physicians was powerless to alleviate. When all 
had despaired of his recovery, it was suggested, as 
a last and desperate remedy, that the knife of the 
surgeon be applied. At this crisis, the captain 
himself a man of religious impulse, requested that 
Father Orozco, for whom he had great esteem, 
be brought to his bedside. His wife went in per- 
son and besought the good priest to comfort her 
husband with a visit. Tears of faith and joy 
flowed from the eyes of the afflicted nobleman, 
on seeing the venerable Father of the court at his 
bedside. Father Orozco, on the other hand, was 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , O. S. A. 193 

deeply moved by tlie evidences of confidence, 
which the sturdy old warrior, in the midst of his 
excruciating torments, retained for the remedy 
which God alone can bestow. Placing his hand 
upon the sick man’s head, Blessed Alphonsus read 
portions of the holy Gospels, in which he invoked 
the power of Him, who is the physician of all our 
woes. The instantaneous relief, which the sufferer 
began to experience, was apparent to all. The 
physicians, who were in attendance, were shortly 
summoned to his bedside, and finding the danger- 
ous symptoms of fever no longer threatening, 
were unable to control their surprise : freely they 
confessed, that the effects were truly miraculous, 
for which all praise should be given to God, who 
had wrought this blessing to the sick man in an- 
swer to the prayers of the Saint. 

During the year 1573, when the Convent of St. 
Philip, in which resided Blessed Alphonsus, was 
undergoing extensive repairs, the large pillar for 
the support of the new portico fell, crushing under 
its weight, one of the workmen, Sebastian San- 
chez. The accident occurred just as many were 
assembling to assist at Mass, in the church adjoin- 
ing. Believing the injured man dead, many re- 
paired in haste, to offer before the altar their 
prayers for the repose of his soul. It chanced 
13 


194 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


that Father Orozco was, at the time, preparing to 
offer the Holy Sacrifice. As soon as the fright- 
ened multitude saw the Saint issue from the sac- 
risty, they besought him to remember the dead 
man in his prayers. Father Orozco, on learning 
of the accident, immediately directed that the 
body be wrapt in a linen sheet, and carried to the 
Chapel of Our Lady of Grace, where he would 
offer Mass for him, trusting that so powerful is 
the Blessed Virgin, she will not be wanting even 
to the dead, and that she might deign to comfort 
those who mourned byrestoring him to life. The 
tears, which freely flowed down the cheeks of the 
venerable celebrant, bespoke the earnestness of 
his devotion ; particularly was this the case dur- 
ing the Mcmemto , at which he tarried for more 
than a half-hour. At times during the holy sacri- 
fice he seemed from his manner to behold the 
Mother of God, and tears were unable to conceal 
the joyous delight depicted on his countenance. 

While reciting the last gospel, the corpse be- 
trayed signs of animation ; and, as Blessed Al- 
phonsus was withdrawing from the altar, the peo- 
ple, no longer able to restrain their feelings of ad- 
miration, cried out on seeing the unmistakable 
evidence of life: “Father Orozco has restored him 
to health! A miracle! A miracle!” Unable to 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


195 


conceal his agitation and confusion, the Good 
Priest exclaimed, “ My brethren for Jesus’ sake 
how can you say such things ? Where is the 
Mother of God ? She has done this ; she alone 
lias restored him; the man was injured, not dead.” 
On saying this Father Orozco immediately repaired 
to the sacristy to divest, and ordered the door to 
be locked, not wishing to meet the people, who 
seemed wholly beside themselves in admiration 
of what all were loud in proclaiming a miracle. 
Father Louis de los Rios was then a novice at the 
Convent of St. Philip, and submitted to the Holy 
See a statement of the fact here related attested 
by numerous other witnesses. 

Not less notorious, but more wonderful still, 
was the restoration to life by Father Orozco of 
the child, Magdalene Amador, who afterwards be- 
came an Augustinian nun in the convent at Tala- 
vera. The father of little Magdalene was one of 
the attendants of the royal household of Philip 
II. His disposition was harsh and morose, and, 
like others of ill-nature, he made his home-sur- 
roundings far from pleasant. His wife, a truly 
Christian lady, was often the hapless victim of his 
passionate rage. Finding her own patience and 
powers of endurance well-nigh exhausted in per- 
sistent, but futile efforts to moderate the violence 


196 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


of his temper, she finally had recourse to Father 
Orozco. With earnest words, the holy preacher 
was besought by the good woman, to exert upon 
her husband that undefinable influence, which he, 
in the gentleness of his character, was known to 
possess over rebellious hearts. Through the ef- 
forts of Father Orozco, peace and harmony were 
restored, and husband and wife were deeply grate- 
ful for the kind intervention. 

It would seem that God, “ who reacheth from 
end to end mightily, and ordereth all things 
sweetly,” had willed that the family, which had ex- 
perienced the influence of Father Orozco’s charity 
and forbearance, should also witness the power of 
his faith. Shortly after the event of reconcilia- 
tion, their little child, Magdalene, became suddenly 
ill and died. Father Orozco was among the first 
who repaired to the home to offer his consolation 
to the bereaved parents. “ O, Father, the child 
has died ! ” was the greeting with which the head of 
the house met the priest on his entrance. “ In- 
deed offer her as a nun for the convent which I am 
laboring to establish at Talavera, and it is very 
possible that God may permit her to return to us,” 
calmly replied Father Orozco. “ See ! ” was the 
answer, “ she is already covered with the deatli- 
pall ; more than eight hours have elapsed since she 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 197 

expired.” “ It matters nothing,” replied Father 
Orozco. “ Offer her as I have now dictated.” 
The whole household rang out as with one voice : 
“ Take her, good father, and do with her what you 
will.” 

Immediately Blessed Alphonsus drew nearer to 
the couch on which the livid form of the child was 
laid, and knelt for a long time in silent prayer ; 
after which he rose and read passages from the 
Gospel, expressive of the faith which filled his own 
soul. Suddenly, the child began to move and then to 
weep. Her tears received quick response from pa- 
rents and friends, who realized that life had returned 
to the corpse, and that the child was restored to their 
embrace, healthy and vigorous. The surprise and 
happiness of the whole house can be readily imag- 
ined, while the incident was widely published in 
the city, occasioning both curiosity and astonish- 
ment. The news of Magdalene’s restoration spread 
throughout Madrid, and had obtained so great 
publicitjq that the ecclesiastical tribunal of the di- 
ocese instituted a searching investigation, and de- 
clared the facts, as related, established beyond a 
doubt. In early process of the inquiry into the 
sanctity of Father Alphonsus Orozco, as instituted 
with approval of the Holy See, a sister of Magdalene 
was still living, who testified to this incident oc- 


198 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


curring in her presence; and another affirmed that 
she had often heard the facts, in detail, related by 
her parents. 

The question may be asked : “ Did Magdalene 
fulfil the offering made by her parents and concur 
with the purpose for which God loaned her again 
to the world?” In fact, Sister Mary Magdalene 
Amador was numbered among the holy virgins, 
who, in 1577, were the first in espousing themselves 
to God in the convent of the Augustinians at Tal- 
avera, founded by Father Orozco under the invo- 
cation of St. Ildefonsus. 

The family of Blessed Alphonsus, doubtless, con- 
tinued to reside in the little town of Talavera 
(having removed from Oropesa when Alphonsus 
was a child.) Frances, a sister of Alphonsus, had 
married ; but, at the time of the incidents narrated 
in this chapter, was a widow. By the advice of 
her pious brother she retired, in company of sev- 
eral other holy women to the family homestead of 
Orozco, where they lived a life in common, exer- 
cising themselves in prayer and almsgiving, and 
striving to promote the spiritual and temporal 
welfare of their surroundings. 

The sweet odor of these holy women’s virtues 
was diffused throughout Talavera, and they were 
known as the Blessed Ladies of St. Augustine, al- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 199 

though they did not enjoy the rights or privileges 
of a religious body. In the year 1573, they erected 
a chapel, and received from the archbishop of To- 
ledo permission to retain the Blessed Sacrament in 
their midst. The house was also enlarged and 
made to assume the appearance of a convent, and 
through the negotiations of Blessed Alphonsus 
who was the controlling spirit in giving shape to 
this beginning, they were now affiliated to the nuns 
of St. Augustine, and the Provincial of the Au- 
gustinians appointed a superior from a convent of 
Madrigal to be their directress. 

In 1576, these holy women were first given the 
veil, and the following year, Sister Frances Orozco 
was the first nun who made profession of her re- 
ligious vows in this new home consecrated to God. 
The wealth of the Orozco estate was utilized in 
furthering the welfare of this Convent of St. Ilde- 
fonsus. Blessed Alphonsus also made this little 
sisterhood the object of his special solicitude, and 
rendered it considerable aid during his life. The 
third part of his income, as Preacher to the King, 
was allotted to the nuns of Talavera, and dearly 
did he love the convent, which was consecrated to 
St. Ildefonsus in token of his own gratitude for the 
favor that the Blessed Virgin had shown him even 
before his birth. Frequently he visited the holy 




200 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


retreat, and was seldom absent on the occasions 
of the profession of vows, or reception of habits. 

Incidents of his childhood and early home, com- 
bined in making the Convent of St. Ildefonsus 
dearly cherished by Father Orozco. At the mo- 
ment of his death, the nuns of this convent were 
apprised, in a marvellous manner, of his departure, 
as will be related in a subsequent chapter; and he, 
who was their founder and protector on earth, 
was piously invoked as their powerful advocate in 
Heaven, long before the Church had offered him 
to the veneration of the faithful. 

Father Orozco had already, in the year 1566, 
secured the foundation of an Augustinian monas- 
tery for his brethren in this same town of Tala- 
vera. He dedicated it under the title of Our 
Lady of Peace and consented himself to act as 
Vi car- Prior till such times as a superior was ap- 
pointed by the Provincial Chapter to be held in 
the same year. 

Thus did the holy religious labor to extend the 
influence of his virtues far and wide by securing 
the foundation of such institutions as served as 
nurseries of faith and piety. His charity was too 
noble, his spirit too self-sacrificing, to be confined 
within the narrow limits of prejudice or environ- 
ment. Freely did he exercise himself in helping 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 201 

the needy, consoling the afflicted, and reconciling 
family dissensions. But in all, the hand of the 
Lord was with him, strengthening his efforts, and 
blessing all his undertakings. 


202 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

THE ZEAL OF THE PREACHER ROYAL FOR THE 
SALVATION OF THE NOBLES. HIS MISSION AT 
THE COURT OF PHILIP II. 

Blessed Father Orozco, abounding in love 
for his brethren, acted out the principle expressed 
by St. Paul in his motto of heroic charity ; “ To 
all am I a debtor.” As a minister of God, his 
mission was not restricted to any class or condition 
of life, though the poor were always the objects of 
his deepest affection, in whom he saw the likeness 
of our Saviour depicted. But his sympathy for 
their distress did not make him indifferent to the 
duties he owed to those in the higher ranks of 
life. As Preacher Royal, he found within the 
radius of the Court Circle, a large field for the 
exercise of his charity; and this virtue was beauti- 
fully reflected in his untiring zeal and solicitude 
for the betterment of the morals which obtained 
among the nobility who surrounded the throne of 
Philip II. He looked upon this task as his para- 
mount duty, while the universal esteem in which 
he was held, contributed much to the success of 
his efforts. 


ALPHOKSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 203 

Well did Father Orozco know that the fruits 
attending his labors to uplift the standard of 
virtue at Court, would profit the nation at large, 
and bring untold blessings to the poorest hamlets 
of the realm. For, to see those in high stations, 
by their conduct draw down to the mire the 
honors attached to their office and name, is a 
public calamity that naturally excites the loath- 
some disgust of right-minded men, although the 
example exerts a baleful influence on the entire 
commonweal. Like a canker, it eats into the very 
vitals of the kingdom, whose ruin must eventually 
follow. 

The Preacher to the King, by reason of his po- 
sition at court, was well qualified to gauge the 
moral status of his surroundings, and to combat 
the evils which lurk in the very fountains of au- 
thority. Chiefly was he guardian of those public 
virtues, which make civil rulers the exponents of 
Christian principles. Ilis conscience was burdened 
with the duty of recalling men of every rank to a 
sense of due regard for the law of God, “from 
whom comes all power.” The presence of the 
lords and nobles at church functions on state oc- 
casions was incumbent on those who were honored 
with admission to the court of Philip II.; and, 
with cautious zeal, did Blessed Alphonsus avail 


204 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


liimself of these opportunities, to impress upon 
the rulers of his country, the lessons which the 
Gospel of Jesus unceasingly preaches to those 
who are privileged to command. His sermons, 
delivered in the chapel of the palace, though fear- 
less and uncompromising in character, were in- 
spired by that charity, which seeks to win the af- 
fections of culprits, without arousing their antipa- 
thy or displeasure. Besides, the example of a 
life so austere and contrary to the habits of lux- 
uriant ease, the affable sweetness of his nature, so 
apparent in words and manner, combining with his 
own lofty and steadfast principles of conduct, lent 
a singular influence to all the utterances of the 
Preacher Royal, and endeared him to the entire 
nobility, who reverenced the holy religious as a 
minister of God, and not a servant of kings. 

Scarcely had Blessed Alphonsus crossed the 
threshold of the Royal Palace, and mingled among 
the courtiers, than there dawned upon his vision 
the gigantic mission, which was unfolded to his 
labors ; nor did he lose sight of the fact, that his 
success in ameliorating the evils, was dependant 
upon his extreme caution in every detail of action. 
He found the nobility wedded to deep-seated pre- 
judices, the folly of which required prudence in 
exposing and gentleness in uprooting. Alphon- 


ALPEONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


205 


sus brought with him to the service of the king, 
not the knowledge which is prized by the diplo- 
mat; blit the holy almoner , in his errands of 
mercy among the poor and afflicted, had learned 
lessons, the wisdom of which is born of God and 
the knowledge of which not only fired his zeal in 
this holy undertaking, but also lighted his steps 
into ways leading to the happiest results. 

From the many woeful tales of suffering, con- 
firmed by the evidences of unmistakable misery 
that met his gaze, Father Orozco was convinced 
that the poor of his day were largely the victims 
of circumstances, originating from the misconduct 
of those in authority, and the general insensibility 
of the rich to the cry of human distress. To the 
keen eye of the Preacher Royal, there was appar- 
ent in the variance of the classes, in both sym- 
pathy and condition, a growing danger, which 
threatened to rend asunder the social fabric of 
Spain in common with the other kingdoms of 
Europe. His intimate knowledge and intercourse 
with men of every calling and rank, had given 
him a deep insight to the affairs of the time, and 
clearly he saw, that the breach among the classes 
was widening ; and he trembled at the thought of 
the yawning chasm, which was opening beneath 
the throne of the empire. 


206 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


The old feudal s} r stem of lords and vassals was 
well-nigh fallen to decay. Under the reign of 
Ferdinand and Isabel, the ancient power of the 
nobility was greatly curtailed, and much of the 
authority, which was formerly held by the nobles, 
then became vested in the crown. The abrogation 
of wealth and loss of influence kindled in the 
hearts of the lords a spirit of rapacious greed. 
The king had set the example, by appropriating 
to himself their possessions, and they, in turn, 
sought to recompense their loss by plundering 
their less powerful neighbors. The poor, in con- 
sequence, became poorer; and the weak became 
more helpless still. Sheer force had done much in 
shaping events, and half a century of contention 
had tended to blind interested parties to all sense 
of justice, whether human or divine. 

As a result, there was a growing discontent 
among the poor, and a mutual distrust between 
the opulent and the needy, which betrayed itself 
in open ruptures of vengeance and greed. Fully 
realizing this sad condition of affairs, Father Or- 
ozco, as Preacher Royal, set forth in the spirit of 
an apostle to remedy the existing evils. His let- 
ters addressed to the king and the nobility, his 
numerous books and sermons, all unite in the 
aim to bring the people into closer bonds of sym- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 207 

pathy, and to reconcile the poor with their less for- 
tunate conditions of life. To accomplish this de- 
sired purpose, the holy preacher draws from the 
lessons of the Gospel, such fixed principles as may 
serve for a basis, upon which all classes can meet 
in harmony of thought and sentiment, and con- 
jointly labor for the advantage of all concerned. 
“ For God, he was wont to say, reaches from end 
to end, and orders all things with sweetness and ad- 
mirable gentleness. According to His will, there 
are lords and vassals, rich and poor in this world. 
As the fingers, some long and some short, render 
the hand not only graceful, but more useful, and 
as the stars of heaven are not all equal in bright- 
ness, so, also, the same overruling providence of 
God reflects divine wisdom and goodness in the 
varied condition of men. Nor are those, who 
rightfully possess riches, to be esteemed on that 
account miserable and deserving of eternal con- 
demnation ; for God created riches, which of 
themselves cannot be evil. Rather, may wealth 
be used as an instrument and means to attain 
Heaven through its expenditure in works of char- 
ity to alleviate the needs of the poor.”* 

Vehemently did Blessed Alphonsus protest 
against the insufficiency, with which the laboring 
* First volume of Blessed Alphonsus’ Epistles. 


208 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


classes were requited for their services. He knew 
by sad experience, as a friend of the poor, whose 
miseries were not unknown to him, what unchris- 
tian and heartless opinions were entertained by 
the lords of wealth, in reference to the wages of 
their servants and officials. Labor was at the 
mercy of capital, whose minions availed them- 
selves of the necessities of the poor, in forcing un- 
just and inequitable agreements upon those, for 
whom the pangs of hunger made the strongest 
appeal. Alphonsus reminded those, who were 
lavish in their charity to strangers, that more 
urgent claims were often made by those in their 
employ, who, by force of distress, had entered into 
compacts, that before God were iniquitous, since 
they defrauded the laborer of his hire. 

He sought, with all the power at his command, 
to explode a prevalent, but delusive theory, that 
the virtue of charity urges a generous bestowal of 
alms upon the hordes of beggars who frequented 
every passage to the capital, while justice and 
charity pleaded in vain for the more needy ones 
of honest toil, whose miserable existence was 
scarcely sustained by the meagre and unjust salary 
with which their labors were recompensed. 

In the sermons and writings of Father Orozco, 
the condition of the laboring poor was vividly 


ALPJIONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 209 

portrayed by one who spoke from knowledge 
gained in real life ; and the halls of the Royal Pal- 
ace echoed the soul-stirring words of the Preacher 
of Philip II. in his efforts to awaken the lords of 
wealth to a sense of their grave responsibilities. 
He besought his hearers to heed not the trumpets 
of the world, which sounded loudest praise for 
gifts bestowed on the stranger, but instead, to 
listen to the voice of God and conscience unceas- 
ingly urging a full discharge of those sacred and 
inviolable duties which a master owes to those in 
his service. “ For, we must know, that He, who 
Himself sanctified labor, will never bless the hand, 
though outstretched in charity, against which 
there is a cry to Heaven, made by the defrauded 
servant.” 

To the king the Preacher Royal points as one, 
whom Providence has raised on an eminence for a 
light and a guide to the nation ; whose sworn duty 
is to safeguard the rights of all ; to stand, with 
resolute force, against oppression of the poor. 
The haughty lords of the realm, whose martial 
spirit had extolled courage as the acme of every 
virtue, are boldly reminded that their conduct is 
the mirror, in which dependents and people see 
reflected the claims to loyalty and respect ; and 
that the boasted glory of former triumphs and 
14 


210 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


family lineage is but a tinkling cymbal, unless 
sustained by purity of life and integrity of soul. 

In this manner, Father Orozco labored to im- 
plant milder and more Christian principles in the 
minds of those, who were intoxicated with the 
success which followed their arms in the field of 
conflict. The lords, who, under the color and in 
the name of justice, wreaked vengeance on their 
poor dependants, and gratified their avarice by 
confiscating their small possessions, he likened to 
Jezabel of old, whom dogs devoured in penalty of 
her abuse of power. “The same God, who made 
sacred the claims of Naboth to his own vineyard 
guards with a jealous eye the inheritance of the 
less fortunate ones of this world ; for, you must 
remember that they, whom you claim as vassals, 
have another Lord, even more powerful than you, 
and He continually watches over them. Before 
his abiding presence, there is no acceptation of 
persons, for individual merit alone, weighs in the 
balance of His justice.” * 

From the incidents that surrounded our Sav- 
iour’s birth Father Orozco draws the following 
beautiful and instructive lesson for rulers. “ Do 
you wish me to present a perfect model for your 
conduct ? There is one offered you by the Royal 
* Epistles, p. 49. 


ALPHONSTJS OROZCO , 0. 8. 


211 


Magi, who followed the star of Heaven till it 
brought their hearts and treasures to the feet of 
Christ and Mary, who in turn replenished them 
with the fulness of comfort and happiness. It is 
deserving of your attention to know, that the 
Gospel honors these Rulers from the East far 
more by calling them wise men than kings ; for 
knowledge and science are more valuable and more 
worthy of esteem than mere power. Accident of 
birth suffices to make men kings, but knowledge 
and wisdom depend not on the fortuities of life ; 
they are the hard-earned and imperishable fruits 
of labor.” 

“ The powerful Magi came from the Orient, 
while the poor shepherds hastened from the near 
hillsides. Rejoice then, my Poor, that you were 
near Christ at his birth ; and, without wealth or 
earthly pomp, He came from Heaven to find a 
home in your midst. If a star lit the way, for 
the mighty ones of distant empires to worship the 
Saviour of the world, know that Angels from 
Heaven announced to you the presence of the 
new-born king, whose throne was the manger of 
Bethlehem. 

“ Though this be true, the lords of wealth and 
power need not be dismayed, for they also have 
the star of Christ to lead them. They possess 


212 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


faith, impressed on the soul by the hand of the 
Redeemer himself, in whose light, they too, may 
walk by always thinking, speaking and acting ac- 
cording to Christian principles : following this 
polar-star none can go astray.” 

“ It has been freely charged against the clergy, 
that, previous to the Reformation their influence 
among the nobles, was exerted to prevent the dif- 
fusion of knowledge. How far this accusation is 
borne out in fact, may be judged from the follow- 
ing admonition which Blessed Alphonsus, as 
Preacher Royal, gives in his Epistles to Christian 
princes: “Let lords and rulers here reflect 
how highly they should prize learning, and in 
what great need they constantly stand of hav- 
ing about them men of letters. We read 
of Alexander, that, before making an assault 
upon any city, he gave everything over to his 
soldiers as plunder, except the captured phi- 
losophers, whom he ordered to be saved from the 
common ruin, because though, a pagan leader, 
he was a special friend of wise men.” 

“ Infidels, guided by reason alone, teach 
Catholic potentates that learned men should oc- 
cupy every post of duty, and that the emolu- 
ments of wealth, are best expended in furthering 
the ends of knowledge. As Solomon sajs: 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 213 

‘ The multitude of the wise is the welfare of the 
whole world : and a wise king is the upholding of 
the people.’ ” 

From the abundant testimony of contemporary 
witnesses, together with copious extracts from 
the writings of Blessed Alphonsus, we glean 
the principles of sound ethics and true charity; 
by which his own life was moulded, and for whose 
maintenance the holy preacher raised his voice 
in fearless speech before the king and the nobility 
of Spain. His natural hatred of injustice was in- 
tensified by a strong, but tender love for his fellow 
creatures, which lent eloquent force to all his 
words of persuasion. 


214 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XXI Y. 

THE TENDER AFFECTION THAT FATHER OROZCO 
RETAINED FOR HIS ORDER, AND HIS LOVE FOR 
ITS INSTITUTIONS. 

Blessed Alphonsus always found the com- 
pany of his brethren in the Convent of St. Philip 
a source of great delight. On returning to his 
cell, and resting from the fatigues of his apostolic 
labors before the public, the quiet and peace that 
reigned about this familiar abode foreshadowed, 
in his mind, the welcome retreat, which would 
be afforded him in his later days. Next to the 
hope of eternal reward in Heaven, Alphonsus had 
fondly cherished the expectation of retiring from 
the dust of the world’s arena, whose laurels he had 
fairly won, and pass the evening of his life in se- 
cluded silence, wholly engrossed in thoughts of 
God, as a fitting preparation for his soul which 
should feed for eternity, upon the unfading beauty 
of Heaven. 

The happiness, that the Venerable Preacher 
finds in his convent, is shared by all, who are 
privileged to enjoy his company. His very pres- 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


215 


ence is a comfort to the superiors, and gladly do 
they avail themselves of his prudent counsel. 
His example of gentleness and forbearance at- 
tracts the younger brethren to his confidence, and 
acts like a beacon light to guide the whole com- 
munity. 

We scarcely need dwell upon the assiduity and 
promptness, with which the venerable Court 
Preacher, conformed to all the conventual exer- 
cises of devotion. He was first in saying Mass, 
and most diligent in attendance upon the duties 
of the Confessional. Regardless of his advanced 
years, his dignity, and all manner of exemptions, 
he was rarely absent from his favorite angle of the 
choir during the public recitation of the divine 
office. Joy was depicted on his countenance, and 
revealed in his words, as he intoned the psalms 
and chanted the hymns. So far was he swayed 
by the emotions of his soul, that he was likened 
to one who had broken asunder the ties of earth, 
and was already admitted to the angelic choir, 
which unceasingly proclaims eternal homage to 
the Lamb without stain. 

Modesty, circumspection and cleanliness were 
apparent in the whole demeanor of Blessed Al- 
phonsus, and seemed to reflect the unsullied 
purity of his soul. His sanctity was of that na- 


216 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


ture which invites rather than repeals men’s af- 
fection and confidence. As frequently remarked : 
“ To see Father Orozco was to receive an impulse 
to emulate his example.” The rich, the poor, 
the disgraced and outcast, all found in him a 
common father, whose generous heart was respon- 
sive to all their sufferings and cries of distress. 
Truly was he a pillar of observance, that strength- 
ened the whole edifice of religion and left the im- 
press of his character upon all within his range 
of action. 

The maintenance which the Preacher Royal re- 
ceived from his brethren, he deemed a gratuity, 
whose claims he satisfied from the emoluments of 
his office. His sense of justice, keen by nature, 
was sharpened by his zeal in the cause of charity. 
The smallest service rendered him, he was quick 
to appreciate, and faithful in repaying. The most 
menial servant, who ministered to the needs of 
Father Orozco, was amply rewarded, no less by 
his appreciation of the kindness than by an honor- 
able competence from the good priest whom all 
loved to serve. Thus in his efforts to befriend 
those in less enviable positions of life, he aimed 
at inspiring them with self-respect which when 
rightly guided, becomes a strong incentive to 
virtue. Like a veritable father the revered 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 217 

preacher to the king mingled among the poor 
children of toil whose burdens were so often 
lightened by his words of sympathy, and their 
homes gladdened by his genial presence. But the 
greatest benefit that Blessed Alphonsus could con- 
fer on his brethren and those about him, was his 
own exemplary life, at once useful and edifying, 
although, in his humility, he deemed it unprofitable. 

The only sign and the unmistakable evidence of 
having acquired solid virtue, is to cherish suffer- 
ings and fatigues as agents that minister to our 
peace and comfort. They on the contrary, who 
are prone to seek solace and sympathy, in review- 
ing the difficulties encountered in the journey al- 
ready traveled, magnify the burden of their triv- 
ial cross, and eclipse the glory of the recom- 
pense. The valiant, spirited pilgrim runs onward 
without once glancing back, and advancing step 
by step, with eager eye surveys the broad plain, 
and scales each mountain height with renewed 
energy, impelled by the overpowering desire of 
annihilating the distance, which separates him 
from his country’s shores, the one goal of rest and 
happiness. With no less ardor does it behoove 
man, the lone pilgrim of earth, to conquer all 
difficulties, and unmindful of ‘the things that are 
behind, and stretch forth himself to those that are 


218 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


before,’ in bis thirst to behold, like Moses of old, 
the land of promise — the reward of perseverance. 

In the long years of Father Alphonsus’ life, few 
were the moments of repose allowed him. With 
St. Peter of Alcantara, he had gladly renounced 
the pleasure of rest in exchange for the strong hope 
of glory that was laid up in his bosom. While 
we live in continual warfare with the enemies of 
our soul, while the thorns of earth beset our path, 
it is a delusion to speak of a truce, or to cherish 
dreams of peace and delight. Hence Blessed 
Alphonsus understood how necessary it was that 
he should exert every effort in his power, and con- 
sume the full force of his zeal, in seeking the 
honor of God, and promoting the welfare of that 
Order, to which he had pledged allegiance till 
death. He loved to serve that benign Mother, 
who had early taken him to her bosom, and ten- 
derly nurtured him in the ways of virtue ; for he 
confidently believed that the eternal reward of re- 
ligious in Heaven shall depend upon their fidelity 
to the rule and constitutions of that particular 
institute, to which they on earth were affiliated. 

Conformably to the doctrine later voiced by 
St. Francis of Sales, Alphonsus taught, that a dis- 
position to extravagant practices, and strange de- 
votions was a dangerous tendency, too often en- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 219 

gendered by the Fallen Angel, who frequently 
avails himself of these means to interrupt the 
harmony of a community, and mislead by vanity 
the elect of God. Accordingly, he was zealous in 
exercising and promoting the devotions peculiar 
to his Order, for whose welfare he labored, and 
of whose affairs he had obtained a clear knowledge. 

Blessed Alphonsus was well versed in all 
events of history which reflected credit upon his 
Order, and he sought to bring their record before 
the eyes of the world, which is loath to accord re- 
ligious bodies their merited praise. In the year 
1551, there emanated from his pen a single 
volume containing The Annals of his fellow-re- 
ligious who had won celebrity through the fame 
of their virtues and letters. Some of Father 
Orozco’s masterpieces of eloquence are in eulogy 
of our Holy Father St. Augustine, not to mention 
his biographies of several of the early fathers of 
his Order. 

But the most enduring monument of the filial 
affection, which Blessed Alphonsus cherished for 
his habit and profession is his learned and truly 
judicious J Exposition* of the Rule of St. Augustine . 

* This work of Blessed Alphousus is embodied in the com- 
pendium of the Rule and Constitutions of the Order of St. 
Augustine, published at Rome, 1885 with the approval of the 
most Rev. Father General. > 


220 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Like his venerable Father in the religious life, St. 
Thomas of Villanova, Blessed Alphonsus in the 
midst of the world’s pomp, though crowned with 
an office of royal favor, never forgot that he was 
an Augustinian Friar; and his time and labors 
were freely spent in promoting the welfare of the 
holy institute, with which his destiny on earth was 
closely allied. 

Besides the community of Augustinian Hermits, 
founded by Alphonsus at Talavera, and the 
College of the Incarnation, to which reference will 
be made in a subsequent chapter, no less than four 
convents of nuns of the same order attribute their 
origin to the zeal of the Preacher Royal. 

In the year 1569, there was erected in Madrid, 
a poor and obscure retreat for repentant women. 
It owed its foundation to the munificence of a 
prominent official at the Court of Philip II., Don 
Louis de Lara. The generous nobleman enlarged 
the structure according to its needs and later 
desired to consecrate it permanently with liberal 
endowments to the service of the Lord. Alphon- 
sus, at this juncture, sought to convert this 
establishment of humble beginning into an Au- 
gustinian Convent, whose nuns should devote 
themselves to the duty of perpetuating the good 
work of the institution. Don Louis who held 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


221 


Father Orozco in high esteem joined him in 
petitioning the king to aid them in the undertak- 
ing. His majesty, after listening to their appeal, 
made answer : “ It seems to me, that the work 

you are contemplating, is so gigantic, that no one, 
now living, will survive to see it completed.” To 
this Alphonsus replied : “ Indeed, your Majesty, 
though I am the eldest, I shall live to see the con- 
vent finished, because God has blessed the begin- 
ning, and has willed me to complete the task.” 
The confidence with which Alphonsus spoke ex- 
cited the interest of Philip, who cheerfully con- 
tributed to the success of the undertaking. 

At the expiration of two years, the entire struct- 
ure was completed through the diligence of 
Blessed Alphonsus and his associate founder, al- 
though no small share of praise justly belonged to 
the faithful, who never failed to bestow their 
mite, in response to the appeal of charity, voiced 
by Father Orozco. 

About this time also considerable publicity was 
given to certain miracles that occurred at the 
tomb of St. John of Sahagun. Many were anx- 
ious to know more about the life of the apostle 
of Salamanca. The Provincial imposed upon 
Father Orozco the task of presenting a succinct 
biography of the Wonder-worker of the fourteenth 


222 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


century. The labors of Father Orozco in this re- 
spect recalled to the minds of many, the saying of 
St. Thomas of A quin, on seeing the Seraphic Doc- 
tor St. Bonaventure transported in ecstasy while 
composing the life of St. Francis : “ Let us leave 
a saint to write of a saint.” 

Blessed Alphonsus undertook this work with a 
keen sense of delight. St. John of Sahagun or 
Facundo* was his favorite patron, for whom he 
had imbibed a strong devotion during his early 
years at Salamanca. The study of the life of St. 
John centred upon scenes and incidents, associated 
with his own early years spent within the cloister 
of St. Peter’s Convent, and the memory of the 
severe ordeal through which he had there suc- 
cessfully passed always formed a subject of de- 
lightful reflection for Father Orozco. Accord- 
ingly the task which obedience had assigned to 
him was a labor of love. In the last century this 
short biography became very rare. Fortunately 
for its preservation Father Vidal embodied it in 
his annals — “ Augustinos de Salamanca.” To this 
faithful chronicler, we are indebted for this tribute 
from the pen of Blessed Alphonsus to the memory 
of his precursor in the pulpit, the Apostle of Sala- 
manca, St John of Sahagun. 

*See Butler’s Lives of the Saints under date June 12. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


223 


CHAPTER XXV. 

TIRING OF THE COURT AND ITS HONORS, AND 
WISHING TO PASS HIS FINAL DAYS IN PEACE 
BLESSED FATHER OROZCO PLANS HIS WITH- 
DRAWAL FROM PUBLIC LIFE AND RESOLVES TO 
SEEK RETIREMENT IN A CONVENT AT RISCO. 

( 1576 - 1578 .) 

As years advanced, the duties of Preacher 
Royal became more and more irksome to Blessed 
Alphonsus Orozco. The honors of the court were 
never of the good priest’s choosing, but during the 
later years of his life, the attention and deference 
lavished upon him by people of every rank tended 
to render his position highly distasteful. The 
growing infirmities of advanced age admonished 
him of his nearness to the goal of life, and his in- 
ability to cope with the pressing difficulties of his 
situation. Besides, it had always been his earnest 
intent, to spend his final days in peace and soli- 
tude, free from such troubles, as are attendant on 
actual labors in the vineyard of the Lord. Un- 
like the born courtier, who craves royal patron- 
age, and whose happiness is so often blasted by 
the withdrawal of favor, Father Orozco’s one de- 
sire is to escape the applause of men, and lay at 


224 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


the feet of his king, the title with which the 
Crown had honored him, and hie himself far from 
the Court, the centre of attraction for vanity and 
ambition. 

Well-nigh a quarter of a century had he 
lived in this very theatre of sumptuous delight. 
A score of: those years had he spent in Madrid in 
the services of his king, where the fame of his elo- 
quence, learning and sanctity had made the name 
of the humble religious far renowned. Uncon- 
sciously the Preacher Royal had rendered himself 
a unique figure at the court of Philip II. The 
unmistakable evidence of his zeal for God’s honor, 
his glowing charity for the poor, lent force to his 
words, and had established among all classes in- 
disputable claims to their homage and veneration. 
His rigorous self-denial, his conscientious battle 
for justice to the oppressed and down-trodden, 
were in marked contrast with the indulgence and 
chicanery of those, who so often prevailed in the 
councils of Philip. The ardor and purity of his 
life were enhanced in value, by their sterling 
growth in the atmosphere of pleasure and repose 
which surrounded him, and against whose ener- 
vating lethargy, he made a manful and deter- 
mined resistance. For the constancy of Father 
Orozco was pictured in bold relief by his resolute 


ALPHONSTJS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 225 

purpose of rising superior to the evil elements, 
which encompassed him. While mingling among 
the motley hosts who comprised the Court of 
Spain in the latter days of Philip II., and basked 
in the splendor of the wealth and power acquired 
in the days of his more illustrious predecessors, 
the Preacher Royal was cognizant of deep- 
rooted germs of deca}q and sought to engender a 
vigorous life in the enfeebled arm of authority. 
He made his power for good felt far and wide, 
while he, himself, was not tainted by the influence 
of the association. 

On all sides he was hailed as “ The Saint.” Of- 
tentimes crowds gathered about him on the street 
to seek his blessing or kiss his hand to the no small 
confusion of the modest and unpretentious 
Preacher. To learn the cause of this spontaneous 
outburst of living homage, it is only necessary 
to give heed to the incontestable proofs of the 
favors, both natural and supernatural, which at- 
tended the ministry of our Blessed Alphonsus, 
and challenged widespread admiration ; for the 
wondrous miracles, wrought by his prayers over 
the sick and afflicted, were heralded far and wide, 
and taken as evidence of the value, which Heaven 
seemed to set on the prevailing belief in his ex- 
alted virtues. 


15 


226 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Alphonsus, on the other hand, was much an- 
noyed by this manner of esteem. To his sensitive 
nature, this applause smacked of vanity, while 
the honors so freely lavished upon him seemed 
not unlike the cringing adulation of suppliants. 
As a true servant of God, he did not estimate his 
merit by the false standard of human praise ; but, 
comparing the results of his labors with that in- 
tensity of zeal and charity, which fired his heart 
in the cause of God and humanity, he was over- 
whelmed by a sense of his own unworthiness. 
Considering the worth of his actual achievements 
in relation with the ardent desires of his soul, 
Father Orozco still condemned himself as an un- 
profitable servant, who had made small return to 
his heavenly Master for the precious talents given 
him. 

Whether on the street, in his convent, at the 
court, or on his errands of mercy to the poor, his 
actions were watched and his eveiy movement 
studied. With sincere veneration, there was 
doubtless a strong mixture of curiosity, which 
hampered him at every step, and resolved itself 
into religious espionage upon the actions of the 
holy preacher. The retired cell was invaded, and 
ceased longer to be a safe retreat from the eyes of 
the curious, He found himself so much under 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO, 0. S. A. 227 

the dominion of men, that even the time assigned 
for meditation in his cloister, was no longer spent 
in sweet and undisturbed communion with God. 
Literally was it difficult for Blessed Alphonsus 
Orozco to fulfil the gospel admonition of closing 
liis chamber, and praying in secret to his Father 
in Heaven. 

Extravagant stories were set afloat by the over- 
credulous, whose well-meaning admiration aggra- 
vated his annoyance. The cell of the Preacher 
of the King was familiarly pointed out as an 
abode, wherein the light of Heaven was known to 
reflect its rays, and angelic voices were heard to 
chant divine songs. The modest, humble priest 
conceived a deep abhorrence for this condition of 
affairs, which, to him, was little less than a prison 
life of intolerable endurance. This spontaneous 
homage was, in his humble judgment, like a cloud 
of intoxicating incense, nauseous to the smell, and 
suffocating to the spirit of him who aspired to 
God alone. 

All this disturbance Father Orozco resolved to 
escape, and find refuge in a lone convent in the 
mountains of Risco, where, in company with the 
birds of the forest, he might consume his later 
days in peaceful contentment, and meditate on the 
truths of divine judgment. He purposed putting 


228 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


into execution at once his long formulated plan 
of closing his days in solitude and silence, from 
whose embrace obedience had called him to min- 
ister to the welfare of religion in the presence of 
kings. 

“ O holy desert/’ he exclaims, “vestibule of the 
heavenly court, that happiness is born of God 
which comes from dwelling in thee, whose in- 
mates, like John the Evangelist in the island 
of Patmos, are privileged to see the heavens 
opened, and delight in the visitation of angels. 
Mindful of the hidden sweets contained therein, 
the Spouse of the Canticles besought its posses- 
sion, with vehement desire, saying: ‘My beloved 
one, my spouse, let me go to the meadows.’ ”* 

On one of the most craggy of the rugged moun- 
tains of Avila, surrounded by peaks of adjoining 
rocks and deep precipices, amidst savage wilds, 
which seemed a more fitting place for the eagle 
to build its nest, than for the dwelling place of 
man, Father Francis Parra had constructed his 
cell, and laid the foundation of a peaceful her- 
mitage in honor of the Virgin Queen. This holy 
religious had been provincial of the Augustinian 
province of Castile, and during his reign, there 

* From a book written by Blessed Alphonsus on tbe Life 
and Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist and St. John the 
Evangelist. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


229 


had arisen much to grieve his noble heart. His 
sorrow was deepened by the unfavorable report, 
which his revered fellow-religious, St. Thomas of 
Villanova, in the capacity of visitator, made of his 
administration to the Father General at Rome. 
Disheartened at the ill results of his honest efforts, 
the Saintly Prelate, with an associate priest of his 
Order, begged permission to forsake the habitation 
of their brethren, and, in evidence of loyalty to 
their vows and vocation, establish a retreat in the 
solitude of the forests, where souls disgusted with 
everjThing of earth, might retire in holj r seclusion, 
and worship God according to the rule of their 
holy founder, Augustine, but in the spirit of an 
Anthony. Their purpose was realized in the erec- 
tion of a convent high up on the mountains of 
Avila, called the hermitage of St. Mary of the 
Rocks. The shades of the valley, the hideous 
caverns in contrast with the perpetually snow- 
capped heights, the tall overhanging pines that 
rose up here and there amidst the ledges, and were 
continually rocked by the chilling blasts, inclosed 
the little hermitage placed like a jewel, in a set- 
ting of lesser gems. 

These wild, but sacred precincts, hallowed by 
the presence of his religious brethren, commended 
itself to Blessed Alphonsus as that haven of 


230 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


peace, in which the remnant of his years could be 
spent with profit. Imbued with this thought, he 
betakes himself, without delay, to the palace of 
the king, to obtain the royal leave to retire from 
court. 

On entering the chamber of the king, and being 
received with the usual evidence of esteem, Al- 
phonsus unhesitatingly made known the object of 
his mission. “ My lord,” he says to Philip, “ I 
have lived in this Court for many years, but how 
this precious time has been spent, is not for me to 
judge. On the other hand, however, I have grown 
old in the service, and it behooves me now to pre- 
pare myself to die. May your majesty grant me 
the favor of retiring to a convent, which our re- 
ligious possess in Risco, where, undisturbed by 
care, I may close my life, thinking only of God 
and eternity.” In answer to this, the king de- 
clared he was unable to accede to the request, as 
the presence of his preacher was still indispensable 
at Court. Falling on his knees, the venerable old 
priest besought the favor with renewed entreaty, 
saying : “ My purpose and my desire is to repair 
to the Convent of Our Lady of the Rock, that I 
may adjust my accounts with God for the many 
years, which I have passed in this Court, after 
what manner I know not.” 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


231 


But to all this, there was one answer urged 
from all sides upon the blessed religious. The 
doughty cavaliers and the genial courtiers joined 
in seconding the voice of the king clamoring 
for the retention of the “ Saint of the Court,” in 
whose intercession there was a universal confi- 
dence, and through whom, all felt God bestowed 
many blessings. 

To these urgent entreaties, was also added with 
the command of his religious superiors, who made 
mandatory the abandonment of this projected 
exile. Confronted with such opposition the hoty 
Preacher cheerfull} 7 abandoned this sweet dream 
of solitude and retirement, and accepted in read}' 
sacrifice the cross which duty still forced upon his 
aged shoulders. 

“Were it not for obedience,” he afterwards 
wrote, “ ere now, I would have taken leave of all 
things, and would be far removed from the Court.” 
But obedience, or call it the divine Will, was al- 
ways the guiding star of his life, which revealed to 
him, in a truly wonderful manner, the designs of 
God for his servant’s greatness. “ The Apostle,” 
writes Father Orozco, “ admonishes us to prove 
what is the good, the acceptable, and the perfect 
will of God. To prove it, is to taste it ; but the 
savor of His divine will we cannot relish without 


232 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


denying ourselves. The Will of God is always 
good, because He is the Chief Good ; it is perfect, 
because it brings every contentment to him who 
tastes. Like the Manna, the Bread of Angels, it 
savors so sweetly to our souls, that, in poverty it 
imparts a taste for imperishable riches; in sick- 
ness, it gives a zest of health, and under obliquy, 
the divine Will made known through obedience 
comforts us by communicating a foretaste of that 
celestial honor, in which we have placed our 
hopes. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


233 


CHAPTER XXVI. 

FATHER OROZCO IS CONSOLED BY THE QUEEN OF 
HEAVEN. HIS AFFECTIONATE DEVOTION TO 
OUR BLESSED LADY. 

Father Orozco speedily withdrew from the 
Royal Palace, after his interview with Philip II., as 
related in the preceding chapter. The heart of 
the preacher was oppressed with sorrow and dis- 
appointment, on having his hopes frustrated, and 
his illusions of retirement dispelled. His one re- 
course now, was to God, who ever lends an ear of 
mercy to our wails of grief, and grants our peti- 
tions, at times and in manners, least expected. 
He clasps to his bosom the Cross, which years 
of ardent devotion had endeared to him, and 
breaks forth into rhapsodies of tenderest affection, 
at being permitted to bear its burden upon his 
shoulders until death, after the example of Plis 
Divine Master, whose sacred form was nailed to 
the cruel gibbet. 

To the Queen of Heaven, the refuge of his life, 
the joy of his spirit, he generously consecrates 
anew, his purpose of blessing and praising her, as 


234 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


the one, who, next to God, exacts his homage. 
And, as obedience detained him at Court, he re- 
solved to extol her name in the presence of the 
nations of the earth, and preach her greatness till 
his lips were sealed in death. 

In the Blessed Queen of Heaven, Alphonsus 
had reposed his trust, as the guiding star, that 
would conduct him safely to the feet of Jesus. He 
had frequently ratified the devout offering of his 
own mother, who had presented him to the Virgin 
even before he was born, and he had always 
piously believed that his destiny was wonderfully 
shaped by the aid of her maternal hand. Her 
ready response to his despairing appeal, when buf- 
fetted by the storm of temptation, stood for him, 
as a pledge of her constant watchfulness, and 
often had she afforded him new evidences of her 
solicitude. But the aged Preacher Royal and de- 
vout client of Mary was privileged to witness, in 
his hitter days, further proofs of her patronage in 
a manner truly miraculous, as is testified in the 
Book of his Confessions. 

One night, while quietly resting in the convent 
of St. Philip with thoughts, doubtless, intent on 
the retreat at Risco and the loved Madonna there 
venerated, this Queen of the heavenly host visited 
him. Thus has Father Orozco described the appa- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


235 


rition : 44 With happiness beaming in her counte- 
nance and words indicative of joy she lovingly 
asked : 4 What do you desire ? ’ Being wholly oc- 
cupied in gazing on a face so beautiful, I confess, 
so intense was my delight, that I knew not what 
to answer, and, like one suddenly aroused by a 
sense of overpowering pleasure, I finally said : 
4 Lady of the world, one thing I ask , and this I shall 
seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for- 
ever and ever, Amen' ” * 

God is accustomed, in this manner, to console 
his saints, when their pious desires are wholly at 
variance with the approval of creatures. Thus he 
consoled St. Scliolastica when her brother, St. 
Benedict, was averse to detain her over night, in 
discoursing, 44 on the bliss of those, who see God in 
Heaven.” So, also, was the soul of our own St. 
Thomas of Villanova gladdened, when his request to 
resign the archiepiscopal honors of Valencia was 
unfavorably received by the Emperor Charles V. 
The saintly Prelate, filled with grief, prostrated 
himself at the foot of the crucifix, and recited the 
psalm Miserere . At the conclusion of this 

prayer of resignation the Saviour himself, inter- 
vened, with the consoling words : 44 Be comforted, 
Thomas ; on the day of My Mother’s nativity, you 
* J>ook iii., Chap. ix. 


236 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


will come to me and be at rest.” This event tran- 
spired on the February of the very year, in which 
passed from this life he, who was called the 
“Father of the Poor” — St. Thomas of Villa- 
nova. 

The apparition of Our Blessed Lady to Father 
Alplionsus Orozco occurred sometime during, or 
very shortly before the year 1580. Under this 
date, the event is recorded in his Confessions , and 
related, as the consoling assurance, which the Queen 
of Heaven had given of her loving care over him 
after his appeal to leave the court was denied. It 
would seem these words, What do you desire f con- 
tained the Virgin’s ready assurance to bestow re- 
ward, corresponding to the faithful discharge of 
the twofold duty of writing and preaching, which 
Blessed Alphonsus had so long and zealously ex- 
ercised under her patronage and approval. 

It is worth our while to ponder now on the force 
and meaning, comprised in this sweet and cheering 
question, What do you desire ? with which Our 
Blessed Lady greeted her devout client. The key 
to the secret will be found in the lifelong devotion 
and love, which the saintly preacher cherished for 
the Mother of God. The Archbishop of Saragossa, 
in the funeral sermon over the remains of Father 
Orozco, stated a clear truth in reference to the 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 237 

Saint’s devotion to the Mother of God : “ The most 
of his life was spent in declaring her praises while 
his mind was constantly.engrossed in considera- 
tion of the merits and prerogatives of this Blessed 
Lady.” 

The favorite prayer of Blessed Alphonsus was 
the office of the Holy Virgin, together with the 
Benedicta , which by his order is especially ded- 
icated to the Heavenly Princess. At seventy years 
of age, when his enfeebled condition of health ex- 
empted him from observance of convent routine, 
the venerable Preacher of the King was a familiar 
figure in the choir, at the Monastery of St. Philip, 
accompanying the novices and professed students 
in the recital of these prayers. During the conven- 
tual Mass on Saturdays (which day is consecrated 
to Mary,) he seemed powerless to control the ardor 
of his affection ; abandoning his seat, he would go 
to the organ, and give expression, with its harmo- 
nious peals, to the inspirations of his love. He al- 
ways practiced some special mortification in token 
of his reverence for that day, on which the Church 
commemorates the greatness of the Mother of 
God. 

The thoughts of the holy preacher seemed ever 
intent on his heavenly Benefactress, and, at every 
step, he uttered ejaculations and praises of her whom 


238 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


God had exalted beyond angels. The pleasure he 
found in discoursing upon the virtues of our 
Blessed Lady, the affection he betrayed in pro- 
nouncing her name, seemed to emanate from one, 
who was privileged to contemplate the unfading 
beauty of this Rose of Sharon. 

Even at an advanced age, Father Orozco ob- 
served his long accustomed habit of spending his 
moments of leisure in the garden, watering the 
flowers, and culling the choicest into bouquets for 
the altar of Mary, while he sung in pleasing 
strains the hymns, which the Church has dedi- 
cated to her honor. The hours of repose seemed 
to Alphonsus too long a cessation from her praises. 
In his Confessions , though far from the spirit of 
vain boasting, he alludes to a practice, that gives 
us a deep insight to the lively devotion cherished 
by him for the name of Mary. “ On the Wednes- 
day following the Feast of Pentecost, after sleep- 
ing some little time, I awoke in the early night 
and began, according to a custom which I had ob- 
served for many years, to praise Our Most Blessed 
Mother Mary. This pious exercise I had regu- 
lated according to the five letters which compose 
her name :* for the first, I recited the “ Canticle 
of the Magnificat ,” for the second, the psalm , “In 
* Maria. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


239 


my trouble I cried to the Lord ; ” for the third, 
the psalm , “ Give bountifully to Thy servant ; ” 
for the fourth, the psalm , “ When the Lord brought 
back the captivity of Zion ; ” and for the last let- 
ter, the psalm , “ To Thee have I lifted up my 
eyes ; ” finally terminating this exercise with the 
prayer, which the Church prescribes to be recited 
in the Mass and Office of Our Lady’s Nativity.* 
Father Orozco seemed to attain his greatest de- 
light when opportunities were given him to preach 
upon the prerogatives of the Virgin Mother. 
From the time when he was named Preacher of 
his order never did he let a Saturday pass with- 
out giving to light some new spiritual treatises, in 
memory and honor of that most blessed among 
women. His pen was most prolific in its writings 
in praise of Mary ; among which are still extant, 
in Latin, “ Discourses for all the Feasts of the 
Virgin,” “ The Exposition of the Canticle of Can- 
ticles,” and the “ Canticle of the Magnificat.” 
Besides, in Spanish, are his seven sermons under 
the title of “The Seven Words of Mar}^, our 
Lady ; ” “ Lamentations of Our Lady ; ” “A 

Short Explanation of Our Lady’s Reputed Epistle 
to St. Ignatius Martyr ; ” “ The Manual of the 
Virgin.” But above all is rightly esteemed a pro- 
*Confessions, Book iii.. chap. ix. 


240 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


duction entitled “The Twelve Prerogatives of the 
Mother of God,” or, as it is sometimes called, “ A 
Treatise on the Crown of Our Lady Exalted with 
Twelve Privileges above all the other Saints. 

These rich fountains of learning and sanctity 
attest the gentle, yet vigorous piety, which their 
angelic writer cherished for the Immaculate 
Mother of God. It is to be regretted, that these 
same works were unknown to that other Saint 
Alplionsus of our time, who is rightly called the 
dearest client of Mary, and who contributed so 
much to extol her virtues. Had the eyes of St. 
Liguori but fallen on our Saint’s valuable treatises 
on the excellencies of the Mother of God, the 
“ Glories of Mary ” might have contained many 
of its extracts to uphold the principles of that 
devotion, of which our Alplionsus was an early 
and ardent advocate. The very first pages of 
Father Orozco’s discussion upon the excellencies of 
Mary are a strong defence of the prerogatives, 
which St. Liguori seeks to elucidate and amplify 
from the corroborant testimony of the Saints. 

The writings of Blessed Orozco in reference to 
the holy Virgin seem at times inspired ; his heav- 
enly doctrine in defence of her unique position in 
the spheres of nature and grace are chiefly drawn 
from the mystical allusion of Holy Writ to the 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 241 

Mother of Goth These sacred truths hidden from 
the knowledge of less privileged servants of Mary 
are unfolded with a marvelous clearness to the 
master-mind of Blessed Alphonsus. The lifelong 
service to the Queen of Heaven, his own purity of 
heart and soul formed the key with which he un- 
locked the mysteries of Mary’s divine maternity 
and the reward of his faithful service to our 
Blessed Lady was foreshadowed in her words : 
What do you desire ? 

IS 


242 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XXVII. 

THE REMARKABLE ENERGY WITH WHICH FATHER 
OROZCO PERFORMED HIS APOSTOLIC DUTIES AT 
THE ADVANCED AGE OF EIGHTY YEARS. HIS 
LITERARY CAREER TERMINATES WITH THE PRO- 
DUCTION OF HIS CONFESSIONS. ( 1580 - 1590 .) 

Extraordinary in nature, and truly gratify- 
ing in results, was the favor which the Queen 
of Heaven bestowed upon her devoted client, 
Blessed Orozco. The vision seemed to have im- 
parted a new vigor to his failing energies, and 
lightened the burden of his four score years. No 
longer did he yearn to possess that undisturbed 
repose, which Risco’s solitude offered ; but with 
renewed ardor of spirit he continued his mission 
of charity at the Court of Madrid. Buoyed up 
with a lively hope in Our Blessed Lady’s en- 
couraging promises of reward, Father Orozco 
seemed to possess, in the secrets of his heart, a 
fruition of happiness, which outer surroundings 
were powerless to enhance or destroy. 

The endurance and zeal which the venerable 
religious evinced in the discharge of his apostolic 
labors, during these latter years, would do credit 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. . 243 

to a young man of thirty. Each morning at 
break of day, he offered the Holy Sacrifice of the 
Mass; while the joy, that was radiant on his 
countenance, bespoke the tender emotions of his 
soul. The altar on which he celebrated, was 
situated in a retired portion of the sacristy, where 
his devotion was undisturbed by the importuni- 
ties of the faithful, whose confidence and vener- 
ation for Father Orozco often rendered them 
guilty of indiscretion. The few to whom was 
accorded the privilege of assisting at the sacred 
function, were awe-stricken and enraptured at the 
evident fervor of spirit, which dominated the 
holy celebrant. His every action seemed inspired ; 
he was like one who, having pierced the veil of 
the senses, had mounted in vision to the throne of 
the Most High and was satiating his love in sweet 
adorable contemplation of the Immaculate Lamb 
of God. 

Oftentimes during the Holy Sacrifice, Blessed 
Alplionsus was wholly beside himself, being over- 
come with the emotion of his feelings; for like 
St. John of Sahagun, he beheld the Child Jesus 
in the consecrated Host, and was perforce wrapped 
in ecstasy till the sight disappeared.” * Particu- 

*As testified by Antonia Gomez in the evidence submitted 
to the scrutiny of the Holy Office, p. 365. 


244 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


larly during the later years of his life, he was 
known to remain at the altar for fully three- 
quarters of an hour without interruption, stand- 
ing erect in mute adoration, moving neither eyes 
nor lips, raised above the plane of earth in glow- 
ing transport. 

In the various exercises of the choir, the vener- 
able form of Father Orozco was prominent among 
his religious brethren in the Convent of St. Philip. 
With unabated zeal, he continued to regale his 
soul in prolonged mental prayer, while he relaxed 
nothing, by reason of his years, in study and 
preaching. His friends were at a loss to under- 
stand how he found time for all his various duties ; 
for no other of the Fathers of the convent was 
known to equal Father Orozco in discharging the 
duties of the pulpit and confessional ; while he 
was unwearied in performing his services at the 
Court of Philip. 

Moreover, while continuing his long established 
practice of making frequent tours of all the 
hospitals and charitable institutions of the city 
of Madrid, he rarely absented himself from the 
recitation of Divine Office in choir and also found 
time to assist in nearly all the various religious 
exercises observed at his convent. 

From his seventy-seventh year, Blessed Al- 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


245 


phonsus endured the most intense suffering from 
humors that developed on the soles of his feet. 
Yet, in his various missions of charity, which re- 
quired his presence in different parts of the city, 
or on his way to and from the Court he always in- 
sisted on proceeding on foot. When remonstrated 
with, by well-meaning friends, on account of his 
total neglect of self-interest and comfort, he was 
wont to answer : “I cannot yet cease my labors in 
the Lord's vineyard , nor must I lose a moment's 
time 

In the year 1588, when Alphonsus was four- 
score-eight, the Father General of the Augustin- 
ians visited Madrid, and, on his return to Rome, 
among the notable incidents of his stay in Spain, 
which were deemed worthy of preservation in the 
archives of his order, was the fact, that he had 
listened to a sermon preached by Father Orozco, 
whom he termed a saintly man of remarkable 
learning.* 

Amidst the manifold duties of these latter years, 
which marked the bright sunset of his declining 
days, Father Orozco crowned the literary efforts 
of his life by writing his own Confessions. This 

*The following item is contained in the Registers of the 
year 1588. — Generalis Matriti praedecantem audit fratrem Al- 
phonsum de Orozco, quem virum sanctum etinsiguis doctrinal 
appellat. 


246 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


book is a treatise of incalculable worth, to which 
allusion was made in a preceding chapter of this 
work. Modelled after the immortal Confessions 
of our holy Father St. Augustine, Blessed Al- 
phonsus, on the eve of eternity, reviewed his long 
and eventful career, specially emphasizing the 
marvelous blessings, with which God had strewn 
his path through life. For, obedience had placed 
upon our humble religious the obligation of mak- 
ing a faithful record of his own life, and Alphon- 
sus while overcome with a sense of his own un- 
worthiness, deemed the plan presented by his 
glorious Patriarch most suited to the purpose. 
For apart from a ready submission to the voice of 
authority, he hoped that his Confessions might 
serve the ends of religion, by counselling holy 
souls, who were made to experience, in part, the 
trying ordeal through which he had so successfully 
past before arriving at the haven of peace and 
comfort. Moreover, he sought, by the honest re- 
cital of his own temptations and sufferings, to en- 
courage greater candor among timid and sensitive 
penitents in imparting to their directors, the phy- 
sicians of the soul, a full knowledge of their spir- 
itual infirmities. 

Unlike the numerous other writings, which em- 
anated from the pen of our blessed religious, his 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


247 


Confessions did not find their way into print, until 
after the Saint’s death. Beyond doubt, Alplion- 
sus had intended that this work should be known 
only within that circle in which his life was spent, 
beyond which, the saint, in his humility, believed 
the history of his struggle would lack interest. 
Alphonsus also cherished the hope that this little 
book of his Confessions might remain among his 
friends, as the most effective argument to silence the 
loud praise of his remarkable virtues and offset the 
claims to his special sanctity. For remembering 
the favors which God had bestowed upon him, he 
was filled with a profound sense of his own unworth- 
iness ; his sensitive nature, in consequence, was 
wounded by the unmerited applause of men. To 
him, in his humility, all this was the merest flat- 
tery ; that honor which men so freely accorded his 
virtues savored of treason to God. 

Swayed by the feeling of gratitude which 
cheered the sad memory of the past, Father 
Orozco reviews, in minute detail, a blessed life of 
eighty years, and pictured, in vivid form, the dark 
desert waste, which his soul had traversed before 
it realized the bounteous rewards of divine grace. 
The plain recital of his struggles against scruples 
and temptations was offered by our saint, as the 
faithful representation of the means by which the 


248 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Lord bad purified his corruptible nature, and fitted 
him for the ministry of the Sacred Word. 

But the Providence of God is sometimes ac- 
complished in manners contrary, even to the de- 
signs of saintly men. The plan, which Blessed 
Alphonsus had devised as the effectual means to 
repudiate his claims to sanctity, has become the 
most indubitable proof of his exalted merit. As 
when the Prophet Balaam of old, came, according 
to the request of the leader of the Moabites, to 
curse the children of Jacob, the Lord constrained 
him, instead, to invoke blessings on the chosen 
people ; so, also, may we believe, that the same 
God, who is wonderful in his saints and zealous 
for their glory, has converted Blessed Alphonsus’ 
Confessions of self-reproach into a living voice, to 
sound the praises of our saint until the end of 
time. This one volume has preserved for poster- 
ity a clear insight to the thoughts and graces that 
were mirrored in his pure soul ; and it remains an 
enduring monument to that purity of soul and 
vividness of memory which our saint possessed, 
unimpaired in his latter da} T s. 

With admirable precision does Blessed Alphon- 
sus examine the circumstances and events of his 
own life, and by that clear light which comes from 
a fervent love of God he unfolds to the knowl- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


249 


edge of men the hidden thoughts and secret affec- 
tions of his soul. On recalling the numerous 
blessings and graces, which God had showered 
upon him, and by which he was raised to a lofty 
eminence on earth, our Saint expresses dismay at 
the sight of his own ingratitude to so bounteous a 
Master. 

In the fifth chapter of the first book we read : 
“ O sweet Jesus, Salvation of my soul, for the 
many times I have offended Thee with my tongue, 
henceforth, I purpose to praise and thank Thee 
unceasingly.” In his second book the Saint thus 
concludes his reflections upon the vow of chastity : 
“ But since the combat of the thoughts is both dan- 
gerous and vexatious, in whatever manner, (which 
You know better than I,) that I may not have 
manfully resisted, I now accuse myself with hearty 
sorrow, and through Thy great mercy, hope that 
You will pardon me.” Again he writes: “My 
Lord, I do not deserve the noble title of man, for 
I did not use my reason when I offended Thee, 
who commandest the praise and adoration of all 
creatures, whose Lord Thou art.” 

Father Marquez, who wrote the first biography 
of Blessed Alphonsus, makes the following com- 
ment upon his Confessions : “ Every critic of note, 
and every master of the spiritual life, who has read 


250 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


this little book with attention, regards it with the 
highest admiration. Father Gabriel Vasquez, of 
the Society of Jesus, whose memory is immortal- 
ized through his learning and writings, used to find 
his chief delight in perusing its pages. Not with- 
out reason did he pronounce it even more admir- 
able, than the treatise of similar import, which 
emanated from our Holy Father, Augustine. For, 
while the Confessions of Augustine contain record 
of many and grievous offenses against God, with 
which his early life was stained, the story of Father 
Orozco’s ninety-one years of miraculous and irre- 
proachable life is related in the treasured book of 
his Confessions , whose pages are not marred by the 
rehearsal of a tale of sin or remorse.” 

While the motive of Blessed Alphonsus, in com- 
mitting to writing the story of his hidden 
dealings with God, greatly harmonized with 
those which prompted the work of the im- 
mortal Bishop of Hippo, there is a diversity of 
thoughts in these varied productions, as marked in 
contrast, as were the circumstances, which distin- 
guished the lives of these two favored servants of 
God. The Confessions of Augustine and Alphonsus 
alike are mirrors, in which are reflected the inmost 
thoughts and desires of two, whose paths in life 
were as widely different as were the eras of their 


A LPIIONS US OROZCO , 0. S. A. 251 

existence ; and yet each in his own way has fur- 
thered the cause of religion and humanity, and 
amassed great sanctity. Whoever has read the 
Confessions of Augustine cannot fail to note the 
graphic picture, which his pen unfolds of the giant 
struggle, by which his generous soul shook off the 
fetters of sin, in its efforts to rise to that nobler 
plane of life for which his nature craved. With a 
mind gifted beyond measure, he peers into the very 
inmost recesses of his own heart, and holds up to the 
light of clearest truth the dark stains which had 
so long defaced the beauty of his soul. “ The be- 
ginning of good,” the same Holy Father had said, 
“ is the confession of our evil deeds ; ” but his own 
immortal Confessions, in which are revealed to the 
world his past shame and treason, ring out in clear- 
est note the final triumph of grace, and they shall 
ever remain as the crown-work of his regeneration. 
They are a canticle of victory, that wells up from the 
heart of one, who, like the Apostle of the Gentiles, 
after long contention for the mastery, finds a re- 
view of the past struggle sweetened with the hope 
reposed in the crown which the Lord, the Just 
Judge, should award him at the hour of dissolu- 
tion. 

The Confessions of Blessed Alphonsus, on the 
other hand, are a hymn of glory, that proclaim in 


252 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


an unbroken strain the praises of the Most High 
for deliverance from the evils which had beset his 
path through life. Happily he was spared the ne- 
cessity of reviewing in fancy sad scenes like those 
which our Holy Founder bedewed with tears of 
shame and sorrow. In the early years of Alphon- 
sus innocence and youth walking hand in hand 
had conducted him to the portals of the cloister, 
and their sweet alliance enabled the venerable 
Preacher Royal to call up the past, in chaste vis- 
ions of sweetest fancy, without tasting aught of the 
bitterness of regret. A young, heart of unsullied 
purity he early consecrated to the service of a Di- 
vine Master, and like the Eagle of the Apocalypse, 
unfettered by sin. he soared aloft in his latter years 
to the secrets of Heaven, the splendor of whose 
truths cast their early dawn upon his gaze, ere the 
twilight of earthly life had faded from his sight. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


253 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 

BLESSED ALPHONSUS SEES IN VISION THE SAD 
FATE WHICH BEFEL THE INVINCIBLE ARMADA. 
OTHER INSTANCES OF HIS MARVELLOUS GIFTS 
OF PENETRATION. ( 1588 .) 

Few are ignorant of the lamentable schism 
which Henry VIII. inaugurated in England, and 
its continuance through the cruel persecution that 
his daughter, Elizabeth perpetrated upon her 
Catholic subjects. The execution of her own 
cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, is only one ex- 
ample of the hideous treachery, to which the 
faithless Elizabeth stooped, in order to gratify her 
ambition or pleasure. All Europe, in those days, 
was embroiled in bitter fueds and religious wars, 
the recital of whose bloody deeds mar the pages 
of civilization’s history, and show to what ex- 
tremes, passion leads rival factions. Particularly 
did England watch with jealous eye the efforts of 
Spain to maintain her national and religious integ- 
rity. England’s sympathy and support contrib- 
uted to stimulate the various uprisings in the Low 
Countries against the Spanish Rule, while the 


254 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


pirate, Drake, held the royal commission of Eliza- 
beth in sanction of his ruthless destruction of the 
Colonies of Spain. 

Philip II., encouraged by Pope Sixtus V., and 
relying more on the justice of his cause and the 
protection of Heaven than in his depleted forces, 
prepared a squadron, which was called the “In- 
vincible,” and sent it against the. forces of Eliza- 
beth, which included the combined powers of 
England and Holland. As was the custom, 
public prayers were enjoined throughout all Spain, 
and a general procession was held in the Court 
previous to the departure of the Invincible Ar- 
mada. Philip heartily recommended the success 
of his fleet to the prayers of his beloved Preacher, 
Father Orozco, and requested him also to take 
part in the procession, in spite of his advanced 
age of four-score-eight. To this, the gracious 
Father Orozco consented, as he was wont to partic- 
ipate in all similar demonstrations in honor of 
church festivals. But the people of the city, 
who had conceived a great reverence for the ven- 
erable priest of the Court, thronged about in 
crowds anxious to kiss his hand or habit, and 
to offer him other demonstrations of their affec- 
tion. So great was the concourse, that the order 
of the procession was interrupted; and Blessed 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 255 

Alphonsus, realizing that pride and vain glory 
might overpower him on account of this public 
demonstration of respect, signed himself with the 
cross, repeatedly exclaiming: “O Jesus, Jesus, 
my brethren ! ” immediately he withdrew from the 
public assembly and retired to his convent. Dis- 
turbed and mortified at the manner in which the 
people flocked about him during a religious pro- 
cession, intended to invoke Heaven's blessing 
upon a perilous enterprise, Father Orozco found, 
in the seclusion of his convent, a more suitable 
abode, from which he might undisturbedly pour 
forth his prayers to the God of Battles for the 
success of the Invincible Armada that was to 
carry across strange seas the flower of the Span- 
ish army. 

One night Father John de Castro, a fellow re- 
ligious of the monastery of St. Philip, remained 
beyond the hour of midnight in choir, after the 
recitation of matins. In an opposite corner was 
Father Alphonsus Orozco, who was wholly un- 
aware of the presence of any one. While both 
priests were engaged in prayer, Father Orozco 
unconscious of any witness save God, suddenly 
arose and broke the deep silence by repeating 
three or four times, loud enough to be heard by 
Father John de Castro : “ Oh ! Lord, that chan- 


256 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


nei ! O Lord, that channel ! That channel, O 
Lord! That channel, O Lord!” Father de Cas- 
tro looked in astonishment, not knowing to what 
the Saint had reference. Finally, on hearing him 
cry out in broken accents of grief : “ That fleet 

has broken my heart ! ” he realized that he was 
communing upon some danger that befel the 
army of Spain in its expedition against England. 
Here the good priest filled with dread, made known 
his presence to Blessed Alphonsus by interposing 
the following question: “But being sent in the 
cause of God and after having offered so many 
prayers for its safety, has Heaven permitted that 
ill-fate should overtake the Armada ? ” To this 
the Saint replied : “ ’Tis so, ’tis so ; for our sins 
are manifold.” 

Later it was learned, that on this very day the 
Invincible Armada, the proud squadron of Spain, 
entered the English Channel, and later perished 
in awful ruin on the shores of the Netherlands, a 
victim to the fury of storm, and the superior 
power of her enemies. 

Numerous other incidents occurred which estab- 
lished beyond doubt the gifts of supernatural in- 
tuition so often exercised by Father Orozco. God, 
it seemed, had bestowed upon him, in his advanced 
years, a divine light, by which he could discern 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 257 

with unerring eye an angel of truth from the 
spirit of error and darkness. His natural powers 
of intelligence, combined with this special gift of 
God, enabled the venerable priest, at times, to 
penetrate the secrets of the human heart, and see, 
in clearest vision, that which passed in its hidden 
and inmost recesses. In this way, Father Orozco 
oftentimes seemed endowed with a species of 
prophecy, by which he was able to estimate the 
purity and merits of the soul, in relation with 
outer acts, even without ever seeing or knowing 
the person in question. This gift he exercised for 
the glory of God, by repudiating in particular all 
superstitious practices, so rife in his day. So 
many were the people who were swayed by delu- 
sive visions of prophecy that it seemed that the 
spirit of illusion stalked forth free and untrani- 
meled. Among the many instances of this deplor- 
able folly was one of special prominence, and 
famed throughout the whole Iberian Peninsula ; 
it was the case of Sister Mary of the Visitation, 
Prioress of the Annunciation Convent in Lisbon, 
and familiarly known, among the people, as the 
“ Nun of Portugal.” Having entered the convent 
at an early age, she was long distinguished for an 
exact religious observance of all the duties of her 
calling. She was afflicted however, with severe 


17 


258 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


and repeated infirmities, which threatened her life 
and rendered her disposition morose and melan- 
choly from constant brooding over her sorrows. 
While still young in years, there was said to have 
appeared upon her hands, side and head, marks 
corresponding with the wounds of Our Divine 
Saviour. She was regarded, by even the learned 
and skilled masters of the spiritual life, as one, in 
whose flesh the Passion of Christ was miracu- 
lously reproduced. She was reverenced among 
the people in consequence as another St. Francis 
or Catharine of Sienna, who bore on their bodies 
the Sacred Stigmata. 

This woman, not sinful at heart, was herself a 
prey to hallucination, and, by resorting to various 
artifices, at times seemed raised in ecstasy above 
the earth. She also distributed, as a remedy for 
sickness, a small particle of woolen cloth, which 
was claimed to have touched the wounds of her 
side, and was tinged with five spots, presumably 
of blood, in the form of a cross. Although 
Blessed Alphonsus was as far as Madrid to Lisbon 
from this woman, whom he had never seen, but of 
whom he had heard much, he was nevertheless in- 
credulous. His generous heart was unsuspicious 
and childlike in its simplicity, yet lie could not 
brook imposition upon the faith of the people. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 259 

Nothing did he regard more injurious to religion 
than superstition, which, blinding all sense of in- 
telligent faith, eventually leads to an utter un- 
belief. 

On a certain day, a gentleman of the Court, in 
company with Father Ontiveros, visited Blessed 
Alphonsus in his cell. After the first greetings 
were over the layman ventured to Father Orozco 
the following remark : “ I have an important relic 
here which I must show you.” “ What relic ? ” 
asked Blessed Alphonsus. In answer to this, the 
good man drew, full of confidence, from his bosom, 
a reliquary, containing a small linen, with five 
stains of blood upon it, in the form of a cross. 
After devoutly kissing it himself, he surrendered 
it to Father Orozco, expecting him to show for it 
a like mark of respect. To his no small surprise, 
however, the good priest drew back his hand in 
horror, exclaiming: In the name of Jesus, how 
do I know whether this blood may not be of a 
sheep, or some other like animal ? ” On making 
inquiry, Father Orozco found that a large number 
of the faithful, in the city of Madrid, were in pos- 
session of similar scraps of cloth, and, also, of 
small pictures of Mary of the Visitation, in whose 
virtue they placed unbounded credence. Against 
this superstition he made the strongest opposition. 


260 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Whenever an opportunity was given him, he 
trampled under foot, without hesitation, all sou- 
venirs of this woman’s sanctity ; and succeeded, 
at length, in having her case referred to an au- 
thoritative tribunal, which finally discovered her 
impostures. 

On another occasion a crowd of people were 
carrying a poor woman to the Church of St. 
Philip, to implore Father Orozco to banish from 
her an evil spirit, with which she was popularly 
believed to be possessed. Before the concourse 
had even approached near to Blessed Alphonsus, 
he raised his voice, and exclaimed : “ That 

woman, whom they are carrying this way, is not 
possessed ; she is merely demented.” Saying this 
he speedily withdrew, showing every mark of his 
great displeasure at the misguided faith of his 
people. 

Innumerable instances of the Saint’s marvelous 
powers of discernment may be cited from the evi- 
dence, which was presented to the tribunal of the 
Holy See. From the varied mass of this well -au- 
thenticated testimony we have gleaned the above as 
examples of innumerable happenings of similar na- 
ture. Father Orozco, in the fullness of his years, 
seemed like one, who in this life, enjoyed a fore- 
sight of the brightness of Heaven, and by the aid 


ALPUONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 261 

of its light saw beyond the veil of sense. Charity 
held his pure soul captive, and truth engrossed the 
powers of his intellect, while all his faculties and 
endeavors were exerted in preserving the integrity 
of our holy religion and safeguarding it as the peo- 
ple’s richest inheritance. 


262 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XXIX. 

FINAL YEARS OF BLESSED ALPHONSUS. HIS 
FOUNDATION OF THE COLLEGE OF THE INCAR- 
NATION. THE REMARKABLE FAVORS WHICH 
GOD BESTOWED UPON THIS VENERABLE PRIEST, 
WHILE RESIDING IN THIS NEW HOME. ( 1590 - 
1591 .) 

It remains for us to review the labors, which 
occupied the last year of Father Orozco’s life, with 
a reflection, also, upon the evident blessings with 
which God crow*ned the final efforts of his aged 
and loyal servant. Already we have dwelt, at some 
length, on the salutary effects of the example of 
this venerable priest, whose life was the beautiful 
realization of the heavenly truths, which fell from 
his lips like pearls of incalculable worth. His long 
career, enriched with manifold favors from God, 
and replete with well-seasoned fruits of virtue, 
must finally terminate ; or rather, it is to be ex- 
changed for another life, imperishable in nature, 
the possession of which is, in truth, the fruition of 
all his hopes where no bleak winter shall chill the 
aspirations of the soul, nor shall the parched heat 
of summer invade its sacred domain, but where an 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


263 


eternal spring-tide of happiness and delight pre- 
vails without fear of death or sense of woe. The 
hour of this happy transition Father Orozco calmly 
awaits with a feeling of confidence in the Lord, 
whom he had long served with an undivided love. 
Ilis generous and affable nature had won the affec- 
tion of all hearts, and he possessed the warm at- 
tachment of friends to cheer the gloom and lone- 
liness consequent to old age. The joy that was 
radiant on his holy countenance inspired the con- 
fidence and love of his fellow-men, for it was a 
faithful reflex light of the burning zeal which fired 
the soul of an apostle and rendered him all things 
to all men that he might gain all to Christ. 

In the year 1590, Father Orozco changed his 
residence from the Convent of St. Philip, and lo- 
cated, with two of his fellow-religious, in a house 
adjoining the Royal Palace at Madrid. Here, 
through the giant force of his natural endowments, 
aided by the grace of God, and generous co-opera- 
tion of the faithful, he laid the foundation of a 
magnificent temple to religion, and one which, in 
its day, became a monument to perpetuate the 
memory of our venerable servant of God. The 
College of the Incarnation, far famed in after 
years, dates its origin to that auspicious day in 
which Father Orozco, with two brethren, consented 


264 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


to take possession of the house of Maria of Ara- 
gon, and in the name of their order devote it to 
purposes of religion. The Lord, to prove the self- 
denial and indifference of Blessed Alphonsus to all 
things of earth, called him from the secluded and 
familiar retreat so long enjoyed in the Convent of 
St. Philip, to exercise the duties of an active life 
in the establishment of a new house of his order. 

Perhaps no movement, in the entire life of 
Blessed Alphonsus, betrays a stronger evidence of 
his exalted virtues, than his voluntary removal 
from the happy abode, which, for two score years 
and more, had been the bower of peace, wherein 
the Preacher Royal, wearied of the world’s pressing 
demands, found solace in prayer and study. This 
generous sacrifice, so contrary to the inclination 
of self-love, received the most singular blessings 
of God, who nobly seconded the efforts of his ser- 
vant ; for the prestige, which the College of the 
Incarnation shortly attained, recalled the marvel- 
ous growth of the mustard seed, in the parable of 
the Gospel. 

Maria of Aragon, descendant of the Royal Fam- 
ily, was, from her childhood, attached to the Court 
of Spain, having served as Lady of Honor, suc- 
cessively to Queen Anna and the Infanta Isabella. 
No less, by reason of her virtue than her illustri- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 265 

ous descent, was the name of Maria of Aragon rev- 
ered and honored among men. At an early 
age she had espoused herself to Jesus by the vow 
of chastity, and, during all her lifelong service in 
the very centre of vanity and pleasure, she relaxed 
nothing from the sacred pledge made in the 
first fervor of her chaste and youthful soul. The 
income, received from the vast estate of her family, 
she freely expended in relieving the distress of the 
needy. This noble lady had long contemplated 
founding a religious institution, in the vicinity of 
the Royal Palace at Madrid. Her own home was 
admirably suited for this purpose, and she earnestly 
desired to see it one day consecrated to God, and 
devoted to such pious object as best suited His 
will. 

The plan of Maria of Aragon was to have es- 
tablished here a monastery of cloistered monks, 
whose prayers and vigils would constantly ascend, 
like incense to the throne of God, in reparation 
for the sins of the nation. This good lady had 
often confided her thoughts upon this matter to 
her confessor, Father Orozco, who was the one 
trusted counsellor of all her pious labors. 

The good priest, while commending the zeal of 
the lady, strongly disapproved of the project she 
was contemplating. From his close study of the 


266 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


surroundings, and liis intimate knowledge of the 
people’s needs, he deemed, under the existing cir- 
cumstances, a collegiate church* a greater object 
of charity, and of more serviceable aid to religion, 
than anything which could be derived from the 
erection of a new monastery. Father Orozco ad- 
dressed a letter upon this subject to the pious lady, 
from which the following is an extract : “ It will 
redound much to the service of God if you decide 
on allowing us to establish a college ; for there is 
another monastery of St. Philip in the city ; and 
besides, it will redound much to the edification of 
the faith should this be made a centre, from which 
preachers may issue well equipped for the duties 
of their sacred ministry, and thus spread the good 
seed (which is the Word of God) throughout the 
entire province.” 

The holy preacher also sought to regulate the 
good lady’s desires regarding the penitential 
rigors which should obtain in the said institution. 
Speaking upon this head, he recommends the ex- 
cellent devotion which prompts so many Christians 
to abstain from flesh meat on Wednesday of every 

* Father Orozco’s aim was to found a public place of worship, 
which, however, should not enjoy parochial rights; he also 
sought to have his religious brethren in attendance freed from 
many of the exacting observances of monastic life in order to 
allow them greater opportunities to serve the needs of the 
faithful. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 267 

week in remembrance of the day on which the 
flesh of our Saviour was bartered for a few pieces 
of silver. But, guided by the prudence which the 
true spirit of penance imparts, Father Orozco, 
with equal boldness, denounced, as rash and ex- 
cessive, those practices which so far enfeeble one’s 
health as to lessen his means of usefulness to his 
neighbor and religion. “ God,” he says, “ repudi- 
ates excess in all things, and desires that the offer- 
ing we give unto Him be made conformable to 
reason — an admonition by which the Apostle, St. 
Paul, intended to regulate our modes of corporal 
penances and self-denial. 

The absence of houses of public worship in the 
vicinity of the Court warranted the Preacher 
Royal in believing that a well ordered collegiate 
church would vastly contribute to the edification 
of the faithful, by serving as a nursery of faith 
and piety among the people, who hungered for the 
Word of God. 

All the energies of Father Orozco’s last year of 
life were centred in promoting the welfare of this 
infant Church dedicated under the title of the In- 
carnation. Contrary to the resolution, to which 
lie had long adhered, he consents to act as Rector 
of this new foundation, till such time as his Pro- 
vincial shall provide a superior for its government. 


263 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


On April 11, 1590, Father Orozco celebrated the 
first Mass in the improvised chapel of the Incar- 
nation ; and he, who had been so closely identified 
with its beginning, was also chosen to frame con- 
stitutions suitable to the ends, for which the insti- 
tution was founded. This infant abode of reli- 
gion, in which were fostered faith and devotion, 
became the last earthly home of Blessed Alphon- 
sus. Here God detained his wearied and faithful 
servant to give shape and infuse spirit into these 
surroundings, which were destined to perpetuate 
the work of the venerable Preacher Royal, who 
was so soon to pass to his eternal reward. Now 
that Father Orozco was growing faint and years 
rendered him unequal to the arduous duties at 
Court his heart was gladdened at beholding a 
church and community of his fellow religious 
founded under the very shadow of the King’s Pal- 
ace with a mission to console the afflicted and suc- 
cor the needy. All difficulties attending the ef- 
forts of the venerable priest in behalf of this un- 
dertaking were resolutely overcome ; for he con- 
fidently believed, he was raising a structure 
which, in after years, would serve as an asylum 
for the poor and way-worn of earth, wherein the 
King of kings would welcome those whom Csesar 
scorned. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 269 

The very presence of the holy almoner of Mad- 
rid, as our saint was familiarly called, was suffi- 
cient guarantee of the sacred purposes, for which 
the College of the Incarnation was consecrated to 
God. The Convent of St. Philip became less fre- 
quented, while the multitudes, lay and cleric, vas- 
sal and lord, thronged the new home of Blessed 
Alphonsus, whose counsel and prayers were 
sought, not less earnestly than the alms and fa- 
vors that were in his power to minister. “ Dur- 
ing the eleven or twelve months/’ writes Father 
Rojas, “ that I was the unworthy companion of 
our Father Alphonsus Orozco in the new college, 
he was visited, in turn, by all the princes and 
nobles of the Court. Many times, also, did 
King Philip II., in company with his son Philip 
and the Infanta Isabella, seek his presence, and 
commend their persons and enterprises to his 
prayers. This venerable priest, they loved and 
reverenced, as a saint in their midst, whose humil- 
ity was so great as to overcome all sentiments of 
vain glory, which honors of this nature might oc- 
casion to others more susceptible to the influence 
of vanity.”* 

Little indeed, did Father Orozco esteem the 

* Statement of Father Hernando Rojas as published in the 
Revista Agustiniana. Yol. 1, p. 88. 


270 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


honor of the lords of earth, in comparison with 
the remarkable favors, which the Lord of Heaven 
bestowed upon him. Twice during the month of 
September, 1590, first, on the night of the ninth, 
and finally, on the twenty-fifth, angels attended 
Blessed Alphonsus, and consoled him with their 
rapturous songs. The visits of the angelic hosts 
Blessed Alphonsus regarded as the announcement 
of the near approach of death. St. Nicholas of 
Tolentine, six months before his departure from 
this life, was thus favored by the angelic spirits. 
Father Orozco, on recalling this incident in the 
life of his saintly fellow-religious of Tolentine, 
seemed to regard the visitation of the angels, as 
forewarning him of his own near departure to 
God. Constrained by obedience to write in his 
Confessions an account of such favors he thus 
alludes to this miraculous event : “ I beseech 
Thy Majesty, that these six months may be 
changed into six days : with this desire, I shall 
unite my voice with the great prophet, David, and 
cry out : ‘ When shall I come and appear before 
the face of God ? ’ — Ps. xli., 3. O, Joy of my 
soul, if seeing Thee thus by faith, as in a glass, 
be so sweet, what shall be the measure of our de- 
light, when this veil is rent and we behold Thee 
face to face. Here words fail to make known the 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 271 

happiness, that Thou hast reserved for Thy 
friends.” — Conf. vol. 3. 

In the year 1591, on the last Feast of the As- 
cension, which Blessed Alphonsus was to celebrate 
on earth, God deigned to reward the eager long- 
ings of his soul with a foretaste of the joys of 
the blessed. While engaged in meditation upon 
the thoughts suggested by the prayer of the 
Church in the Office and Mass of the Ascension of 
our Redeemer his spirit was overcome by the force 
of the holy reflections; and on repeating the 
words : “ May we, who believe that Thou hast as- 
cended on High, also dwell in thought upon heav- 
enly things,” his soul was lifted above earth in 
visions of ecstasy. “ I confess to Thee, O Lord, 
that during the time of a quarter of an hour, I was 
wholly lost to all things beneath Heaven : I was 
oblivious of my own self, and it seemed to me, 
that I beheld clearly Thy Divine Majesty, seated 
on the right hand of Thy Eternal Father, and 
Thy Holy Mother, seated at Thy right hand, gaz- 
ing on Thy Soul and body of everlasting glory. 
Then it seemed to me, that I saw that, of which 
Daniel, the Prophet, had spoken : ‘ Thousands of 
thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousand 
times a hundred thousand stood before Him.’ — - 
vii. 10. Then it was, that I also recalled the say- 


272 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


ing of St. John in the Apocalypse: ‘All the 
angels stood round about the throne of the Lord, 
and they fell upon their faces, and adored God 
and continually they did sing: “Salvation to Our 
God, Who sitteth upon the throne and to the 
Lamb.” During those happy moments, I recalled 
to memory the words, which the Spouse of the 
Canticles addressed to His Beloved : ‘ How beau- 
tiful art Thou, and how comely my dearest in de- 
light.’ The delights, of which the Spouse speaks 
as I then perceived, are spiritual in nature; for 
when the soul is thus united with its Creator, and 
regaled with His spiritual comforts, it becomes 
more beautiful than the sun in the eyes of God. 
O King of Heaven, I wished at that time, to pass 
to a contemplation of Thy precious cross, and 
You withheld my soul, with consideration of Thy 
most holy Ascension. None of which I have 
here related transpired in my sleep, but in the 
time of meditation, when I was wholly awake.” 
— Conf. Yol. 3. p. 98. 

On the Feast of Pentecost, of the same year, 
twice was Blessed Alphonsus visited with similar 
favors of the Lord. During the third day of the 
octave, while discoursing upon the words of 
Ecclesiasticus : “ My spirit is sweet above honey, 
and my inheritance above honey and the honey- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 273 

comb,” his spirit was released from bodily ties, to 
satiate its love for a half-hour, in delights more 
sweet than honey, and more delicious than the 
honeycomb. With the following wise reflection, 
our privileged servant of God finishes his reference 
to this ecstatic rapture, which his pure soul en- 
joyed in union with its Beloved. “ We must 
know that such consolations of our Holy Spirit 
are neither ordinary, nor do they continue much 
time without interruption ; for human weakness 
is too overpowering to permit them remaining 
long. The words of our great friend, St. Augus- 
tine, declare the truth to us upon this subject : 
4 O my Lord, when you elevate me to a region of 
unusual delight, if the sweetness of the contemp- 
lation should be perfected in me, I know that my 
soul would, perforce, enter into its eternal re- 
ward.’ ” 

On the following Wednesday, Father Orozco, 
awakening in the forepart of the night, began, as 
was his custom for many years, to praise the Vir- 
gin, according to the devotion in honor of her 
sacred name. “Having completed this devotion,” 
writes Alphonsus, “ I returned to sleep, and in my 
dream, O Lord of all creation, I heard the music 
of many and varied voices, after the manner, 
which is usually sung in the Chapel Royal. That 
18 


274 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


angelic hymn, ‘ Gloria in excelsis Deo] they all 
chanted together. During the time which the 
melody lasted, my old age with its accompanying 
infirmities seemed proof against weariness, and 
my body did not seem to exceed the weight of an 
ounce. But it is also of much importance that 
my soul considering its pusillanimity and the 
magnitude of Thy favor remained overpowered 
with sentiments of humility saying with King 
David : ‘ I am a worm and no man ; the reproach 
of men.’ So great are the fruits, born of Thy 
visitation and comfort, that I beseech Thy Infinite 
Mercy, that Thou shalt be always mindful of me, 
who yearns to be consoled with Thy Hand in ad- 
versity and prosperity ; in sickness and in health ; 
in life and in death.” — Conf. Vol. 3. p. 101. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


275 


CHAPTER XXX. 

ON THE DEATH OF BLESSED ALPHONSUS OKOZCO. 

(1591.) 

At length, after wearied yearnings and earnest 
entreaties to be dissolved and be with Christ, 
death came, as a gentle messenger, to release the 
soul of Blessed Alphonsus Orozco from the cares 
of earth. The long awaited summons reached 
him in the fulness of his years and merits. From 
the shadows, as reflected through the dim glass 
of earth, he turns to feed his pure gaze on the 
unfading orb of eternal light. His life, the sweet 
odor of which had filled Heaven and earth, was 
fittingly consummated in a death, precious alike, 
in the sight of God and man. 

On the 10th day of August, 1591, Father Orozco 
was seized with a severe attack of intermit- 
tent fever. On the day following, he was pro- 
nounced convalescent, and so far was he improved, 
that he wrote a letter to a friend, giving assurance 
of his entire restoration of health. But this 
change in his condition was more apparent than 
real, and brought only a transitory relief. Succes- 


276 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


sively, for day in and day out, the fever returned 
with all its former malignancy. Yet, notwith- 
standing the feebleness of body that always ac- 
companies old age and which greatly accelerates 
the ravages of illness, Blessed Alphonsus was slow 
in succumbing to the attack. As says our Holy 
Father St. Augustine in reference to the martyrs: 
“More fiery is the flame of charity, that burns 
within their souls, than the pyres, lighted to con- 
sume their bodies.” 

Though fever-stricken and prostrate in strength, 
Father Orozco, during the first twenty days of his 
sickness, did not lose once the opportunity of cele- 
brating the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which he 
was in the habit of calling the invaluable treasure 
of his existence. Each morning, without fail, he 
approached the altar, till, on the ninth of October, 
the fever had so far consumed his strength, that 
he was powerless to rise from his bed. 

It is unnecessary to remark that the attending 
physicians stoutly opposed their patient in this de- 
vout undertaking. In answer to their admoni- 
tions, Father Orozco returned the answer : “Who 
forbids me to say Mass; Galen and Hipocrates? 
Heathen witnesses! Had they but known the 
merits of the Holy Mass, they would not so un- 
hesitatingly have bartered it for bodily health.” 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0 . 8. A. 


277 


“ No, God does harm to no man,” he repeats, as 
was his custom on such occasions. 

This lively faith and remarkable piety with 
which Father Orozco so long withstood the en- 
croachments of his malady were rendered more 
noteworthy still from the truly wonderful degree 
of vigor and strength of body that followed his 
exertions at the Altar. Even the physicians, who 
were chagrined at the patient’s wholesome disre- 
gard of their injunctions, were wholly astonished 
at the results. During those early days of his ill- 
ness, besides saying Mass, Father Orozco heard the 
confessions, and administered Holy Communion 
to a number of pious people who had been accus- 
tomed to seek his direction. Each morning he 
concluded the exercises with a spiritual instruc- 
tion to those present, and returned to his bed, as 
he assured his physicians, invigorated by the tasks 
which he had performed. Father Rojas, his con- 
fessor and constant companion of his latter days, 
declares that Blessed Alphonsus repaired to his 
couch, after offering the Holy Sacrifice of the 
Mass, with a repose of mind and an elasticity of 
step, befitting a man of sound body. In the midst 
of his suffering, Father Orozco, with contrite 
heart, recalled to memory all the incidents of his 
life, and humbly besought the mercy of God by 


278 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


making a minute general confession, covering en- 
tirely his eventful life. Then rose up before his 
vision the multitudinous blessings, with which 
Heaven had crowned his lengthy career, for which 
he now judged himself a lone debtor, who in his 
life had made poor return for this bounty. His 
conscience being at rest with meek resignation 
and compunction of heart he now requested that 
the Holy Viaticum and Extreme Unction be ad- 
ministered to him, that, with their help, Divine 
Grace might strengthen him to obtain a final tri- 
umph over his enemies. 

About his bedside gathered friends who were 
endeared to him by the bonds of charity. The 
king and his lords mingled their tears of unfeigned 
sorrow with the torrents poured out by the poor 
and afflicted, who were now sensible of the loss 
they were about to suffer in the demise of the be- 
loved Saint of San Felipe ; for they realized that 
death must soon silence the voice and seal the lips 
of him who was an eloquent advocate of the cause 
of the needy before the assemblages of wealth. 

“ Let not the soul fear death,” he had written, 
“ nor let it be dismayed, because its Spouse, the 
Omnipotent Lord Jesus Christ, will be at that 
hour the defender, who never falters in loyalty to 
those who love Him.” Comforted doubtless with 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 279 

this thought, Alphonsus now requests that there 
be brought to him the Crucifix, which adorned 
the oratory of the Convent of St. Philip, at the 
foot of which he had long been accustomed to 
pour forth fervent prayer. 

The Crucifix, the companion of Father Orozco’s 
many dangers, is the familiar figure, which cheers 
the gloom of his final hours on earth. It is the 
symbol of Our Saviour’s Passion, the devotion of 
which had formed so prominent a feature of his 
sanctity. The tender affections of Father Orozco’s 
pure, sensitive heart were attracted to a rare de- 
gree by the sinless sufferings of the Crucified Re- 
deemer ; while his own prolonged bodily afflic- 
tions had doubtless lent a strong tincture of real- 
ity to all the pious thoughts which the cross sym- 
bolized. The life of Blessed Father Orozco un- 
folded a picture, whose dark background was 
formed by the sombre thoughts upon the Crucifix, 
which gave character and individuality to all the 
outlines. This sad coloring was relieved and en- 
lightened by his chaste and ardent devotion for 
the loved Madonna, the Mother of God — a devo- 
tion that was closely interwoven with every im- 
pulse of his pure heart. 

The scene at the deathbed of Blessed Alphon- 
sus was a fit closing to the life of a saint, and one 


280 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


in harmony with his earthly career. The death 
of saints, not less than that of sinners, is a faith- 
ful reflex of their lives : thus, the friendship, 
which the love of years has cemented, forms a 
strong phalanx about the dying bed powerful for 
good or ill ; for the objects of our affections will 
surely haunt the memory during the crisis of our 
final hours. 

Lady Maria of Aragan, the noble woman whose 
abundant wealth Father Orozco had devised into 
various channels of charity, chanced, on one oc- 
casion, during his last illness, to mingle among the 
grief-stricken mourners, who gathered about his 
bedside. Seeing him radiant with happiness and 
intent, by an effort of strength, to rise and seize 
at something invisible, she said : “ Father Al- 

phonsus, what do you behold, and what does this 
evident joy mean ? ” The Saint, wholly engrossed 
in contemplation, did not answer at once ; and, on 
the inquiry being renewed, he merely replied : “ A 
Lady more beautiful than you.” “ And may we 
not see Her?” she asked. To which the vener- 
able Father made answer : “ Her devoted servants 
shall see her.” On being urged to tell the vision 
he had beheld, which had imparted a strange light 
to his whole countenance, Father Orozco motioned 
to his friend and confessor, Father Rojas, whom 


A LPIIONS US OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


281 


he made the depository of the secret. Shortly 
afterwards, Father Rojas, in turn, declared to all 
present, that the Queen of Heaven, accompanied 
by our Holy Father Augustine, had been present 
at the bedside of the dying priest. 

At one time, the patient watchers perceived a 
sudden chill had rendered the weak, pallid form 
of Blessed Alphonsus rigid as death, and all felt 
that the moment of his departure had come. 
Father Rojas was near, whispering in his ear the 
words of exhortation for a daparting soul; and, 
failing to recognize any signs of life in the out- 
stretched body, he cried out : “ Oh ! Father 
Orozco, has God indeed been pleased to take your 
pure soul into his own keeping?” But Blessed 
Alphonsus unexpectedly rallied from the stroke, 
and to the question of his confessor made answer : 
“ On Thursday I was born, and on Thursday the 
Lord will be pleased to call me to himself.” 

His fellow-religious regarded this promise, as 
something only short of prophecy, and remained 
in anxious suspense for the approaching Thurs- 
day. On the eve of this sorrowful night the an- 
guish of all present was renewed, and sighs and 
tears of earnest affection were freely spent. The 
Saint with peaceful mien again summoned the 
priests, who had come to spend that night in vigil 


282 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


bj his bedside, and said to them : “ Fathers, com- 

pose yourselves, and do not be disturbed ; for I 
trust in God, that I shall not die before midday 
of to-morrow.” As the hour of noon approached, 
Alphonsus requested that his beloved companion, 
the holy cross, which years before had saved him 
from shipwreck, be placed in his hands. With 
all the strength that still remained he caresses in 
his tender embrace this long-cherished treasure. 
His tears, mingled with words expressive of the 
love and confidence that animated his soul, as he 
besought that it now might guide him to the port 
of salvation, and the shores of his only true home 
in Heaven. 

Shortly after this, he requested that as many as 
possible of his fellow-religious be admitted to his 
bedside, and, turning to them, he said : “ Listen 
now to what I wish to preach.” Then, taking for 
his theme, the text, “ Learn of Me for I am meek 
and humble of heart,” he spoke for the space of a 
half-hour in tenderest strains of farewell ; during 
which he seemed swayed by the innate gentleness 
of his nature, and the fire of his zeal rekindled 
the flickering spark of life’s fast fading embers. 
His hearers stood in mute wonder at the inspired 
thoughts of a spirit in its flight to eternity, the 
flames of whose charity melted them to tears. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


283 


At the conclusion of these parting words, Blessed 
Alphonsus reclined on his couch, in a manner 
which bespoke no weariness, but rather a satisfac- 
tion and complacency of one who had discharged 
a task of pleasure. Laying the cross upon his 
breast, he takes in both his hands the lighted can- 
dle, and holds it aloft, and fixes his gaze in con- 
templation of the mystic meaning of the burning 
taper ; and, without gesture or apparent struggle 
of the body, he peacefully breathes his soul to 
God. 

On Thursday, at noon, the nineteenth of Sep- 
tember, 1591, as he had already foretold, came the 
anxiously awaited moment, in which Blessed Al- 
phonsus Orozco O. S. A. passed from earth to eter- 
nal happiness. 

The tidings of his happy transition on the very 
instant of its occurrence was announced to the 
Augustinian Nuns of Talavera, which community 
was the first that owed its foundation to the zeal 
of Blessed Alphonsus. The convent bell of that 
distant town untouched by any visible hand pealed 
forth loud notes of gladness and all the Religious 
by common instinct perceived the meaning of the 
strange incident, and with one accord they ex- 
claimed : Rejoice ! the Saint of St. Philip's has this 
moment entered into glory. 


284 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


CHAPTER XXXI. 

FUNERAL OF FATHER OROZCO. INTERMENT OF 
HIS REMAINS. REMARKABLE EVIDENCES OF 
HIS HOLINESS. ( 1591 .) 

The news of the death of Father Orozco was 
speedily heralded throughout the capital, and 
crowds of people, comprised of every condition in 
life, assembled without delay about the College 
of the Incarnation. Soon the streets and thor- 
oughfares leading to the church were thronged 
with multitudes, anxious to see the remains of one 
to whom death on earth was life in Heaven. An 
eye-witness of the scene has compared the excite- 
ment that prevailed in Madrid for the two suc- 
cessive days, to one of the grand Jubilee exercises 
held in Rome. 

The little chuch of the Incarnation, even though 
it were much larger would not be spacious enough 
to admit the crowds, that besieged its every avenue 
of entrance. In this sacred edifice, in whose erection 
the last year of Father Orozco’s life was engaged, 
his body was now laid. On a high bier covered 
with purple his remains were placed in full view 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


285 


of the multitudes, who pressed about, anxious for 
an opportunity to kiss even the hem of his habit. 
The religious brethren, who stood nearest the cof- 
fin, were constantly importuned by the faithful to 
allow their beads and other objects of devotion to 
touch the remains of the dead saint. Neither the 
Fathers, nor the civil officials, were equal to the 
task of restraining the enthusiasm of that mass of 
people, who flocked from all sides, eager to behold, 
for the last time, the face of Father Orozco. As 
night advanced, the procession continued uninter- 
rupted ; every one seemed bent on the same mis- 
sion, and the little Church of the Incarnation ap- 
peared to be the Mecca, to which all Madrid was 
bent on making a pilgrimage. On past midnight 
the crowds filed into the new chapel, and passed 
before the remains of him, who was the lifelong 
friend of the poor. 

The day following his death, was assigned for the 
funeral obsequies. It was an unusual occasion, 
one on which mingled in heartfelt sympathy the low 
and the great, priest and people , lords and serfs — 
all regardless of rank, were intent on paying honor 
in death to one, whose noble life and labors were 
spent in uplifting his fellow-beings. For the mo- 
ment men seemed to have overstepped the barriers 
of ancient usages in their efforts to offer a fitting 


286 LIFE OF BLESSED 

tribute to the memory of one whom to know was 
to love. All were led by emotions of gratitude to 
reverence, in common, him, who preached to all 
men the sacredness of duty above power ; and 
whose words inspired by the affections of a pure 
soul had found a responsive echo in the human 
heart. 

The Bishop of Rodrigo, in the presence of the 
Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, celebrated Pon- 
tificial Mass, and to Father Manrique, a fellow- 
religious of the deceased, was assigned the duty 
of pronouncing the funeral oration. The preacher 
in the course of his remarks paid the following 
deserved tribute to the lamented dead: “ He was 
a Friar in our midst for more than seventy years, 
and during all that time he had occasioned the 
complaint of none, but the edification of many 
and the admiration of all.” A faithful saying, to 
whose truth the entire life of the Saint bore wit- 
ness. 

The multitudes who congregated made it im- 
possible for all to view the remains, nor did those 
who were privileged to approach satisfy them- 
selves with merely gazing upon the lifeless form ; 
for it is a truth beyond doubt, that the exquisite 
fragrance, which the body exhaled, detained the 
pious throngs about the bier. The whole church 


ALPEONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 287 

and college were filled with the aroma arising 
from the remains of the venerable priest. Scarcely 
had the Saint breathed his last, when the infirm ar- 
ian, Father Ontiveros, prepared to see for himself 
what eruptions were on Father Orozco’s feet, that 
had caused him such intense suffering in his latter 
years. From the ankles down, he found that the 
feet appeared like those of a young man in the 
vigor of life, while above the joint the limbs were, 
by strong contrast, emaciated and worn, the skin 
alone covering the fleshless bones. On the soles 
of each foot, however, was discovered a mark of 
a pale purple color, not larger in size than a 
penny, while all the rest of the surface was en- 
tirely smooth, without the least trace of a scar, or 
any kind of disfigurement. After satisfying this 
pious curiosity, the infirmarian reverently kissed 
the feet, when, to his no small surprise, he per- 
ceived that they, emitted a sweet odor, whose 
perfume eventually permeated not only the cell, 
but the whole surrounding. This strange evi- 
dence constantly appealing to the senses of all 
caused great wonder and astonishment, and, in 
order to clearly establish the truth of this fact, it 
was resolved to defer the burial to the day follow- 
ing the obsequies. 

It remained to decide upon the place of his in- 


288 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


terment. Father Orozco himself, writing to Maria 
of Aragon, often expressed much concern regard- 
ing his burial spot. He cherished fears, lest his 
remains should be disinterred by grave-ghouls, 
and as an object of their booty be offered for ran- 
som. Besides, for his comfort and the welfare of 
his soul, he begged to be interred beneath the 
holy water font of the church, that ‘ the people, 
having his remains beneath their feet, might re- 
member to pray for his soul.’ The Archbishop, 
however, ordered that the remains of the Saint be 
enclosed in the coffin, and borne to the tomb be- 
neath the High Altar of the Church of the In- 
carnation. Thus was Father Orozco honored in 
death, like another Ambrose, whose charity and 
gentleness he had emulated in life, without sacri- 
ficing aught of the great Doctor’s inflexible adher- 
ence to duty. 

in the year 1599, the Augustinian Fathers be- 
gan extensive improvements about the College of 
the Incarnation. The temporary church, which 
contained the remains of Father Orozco, was 
superseded by a beautiful structure of magnificent 
proportions. The work was completed in 1603, 
and preparations were made to transfer without 
delay the body of Blessed Orozco to the vault 
beneath the new altar. On the feast of St. Ilde- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 


289 


fonsus, patron of our holy religious, the coffin, in 
which he had laid undisturbed for twelve years, 
was opened in the presence of several of the elder 
•priests of the Church, together with other persons 
of note and authority, specially assembled as 
witnesses. Without surprise, but with deep feel- 
ings of wonder and reverential awe, on removing 
the lid, they discovered that the remains were 
still incorrupt and lifelike. The muscles of the 
fingers, neck and abdomen were flexible, and the 
eyes glowed as still possessing the sparkle of life, 
while the garment in immediate contact with 
the body, appeared fresh and intact as the day of 
their first use. With the habit, however, that 
had enshrouded the remains, it was far different. 
The whole had decayed, and, the insects consum- 
ing it, had made two small incisions into the bones 
of the dead body it once covered. This strange 
incident created intense curiosity among the wit- 
nesses, who were at a loss to account for the re- 
markable contrast so apparent between the rem- 
nants of that holy garb of religion and the condi- 
tion of full preservation in which everything else 
existed. 

At this time lived Father Rojas, who had been 
confessor to Blessed Alphonsus, and had also suc- 
ceeded him in the rectorship of the College of the 
19 


290 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


Incarnation. Being present on the occasion of 
the disinterment he recognized every feature of 
the saintly Alphonsus, whom he had so much ad- 
mired in life. With tears, prompted not less by 
sorrow than joy, he revealed the secret of the 
whole affair which alone was known to him. At 
the death of Father Orozco, he had removed the 
habit of the holy priest, treasuring it as a relic of 
a saint, and placed his own as the burial shroud. 
Now standing over the tomb of Blessed Alphon- 
sus, the humble priest, Father Rojas, cried out : 
“ What but rottenness could await the habit of a 
sinner! ” Yet, the tears that he shed, were those 
of comfort ; for the pious fraud he had committed, 
in substituting his own for the habit of Alphon- 
sus, now occasioned a miracle, patent to all ; and, 
gladly in his devotion did he suffer the confusion 
of the exposure, because it vindicated the purity 
and sanctity of Blessed Alphonsus on whom the 
Church may yet bestow her highest honors and 
sanction the title of Saint Orozco. 


ALPEONSUS OROZCO , 0. & A. 


291 


CHAPTER XXXII. 

HISTORY OF THE CAUSE OF BEATIFICATION OF 
FATHER OROZCO. (1626-1882.) 

The popular estimate of Father Orozco’s vir- 
tues, and the marvelous results that attended his 
prayers while living, together with the re mark' 
able circumstances accompanying his death and 
burial, were speedily urged as claims to veneration 
by the faithful. Shortly after the transfer of his 
remains in 1603, the Augustinians of Spain pre- 
sented a petition to the ecclesiastical authorities 
of Toledo, urging a judicial inquiry into the 
sanctity of one, whom the people even then did 
not hesitate to style Saint Orozco. The condition 
of his body still intact, after lying twelve years in 
the tomb, invited the closest study, and was pro- 
nounced by witnessing physicians as a fact, which 
was in defiance of the physical laws of nature. 
The remarkable sight of a flexible body, possessing 
all the appearances of life, though shrouded in a 
decayed habit was regarded by all as an evidence 
of the imperishable happiness the soul possessed 
in Heaven and also as a favorable omen of the 


292 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


future laurels, which God would yet bestow upon 
the memory of his blessed servant on earth. 

It is related that Father Rios, who was in Rome 
in the interest of the beatification of St. John 
Sahagun, before returning to his native country, 
paid a farewell address to that magnanimous Pon- 
tiff, Clement VIII. On announcing his departure, 
and after gratefully acknowledging the favor, 
which the Holy See had accorded him and his 
brethren by approving the virtues of the Apostle 
of Salamanca, the Pope replied : “ How long will 
you let me rest, before wearying me again with 
your importunities?” “Indeed,” answered Father 
Rios, “ as soon as I report to my province the 
good news of your gracious conduct towards our 
St. John, I will return again, for I am informed 
by letters from Madrid that the body of Father 
Orozco, a holy religious of ours, was recently dis- 
covered incorrupt after being twelve years buried ; 
and we must petition your Holiness that he also 
be numbered among our Saints, for he was truly 
a holy man.” Clement, in reply, said : “ I was 
acquainted with him myself, and regarded him as 
such ; and the intelligence which you now com- 
municate delights me exceedingly.” 

Nine years before Father Orozco passed to 
his eternal reward St. Teresa had died in the odor 


ALPEONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 293 

of sanctity, and the highest honors of the Church 
were already bestowed upon her ; and there was 
now an earnest desire among all classes, that an 
informatory process be begun in the case of Al- 
phonsus. Accordingly, Father John Herrera, 
who had been previously named Promoter of the 
Cause, obtained, on Dec. 11, 1618 from the eccle- 
siastical authorities of Toledo the approval of a 
commission to institute a formal inquiry into the 
life, virtues and miracles of Father Alphonsus 
Orozco, O. S. A. 

Following this initiative, the Nuncio of the 
Holy See, residing at Madrid, ordered a careful 
inquiry to be opened in the various localities, in 
which Alphonsus had dwelt during life. In Qro- 
pesa, his birthplace ; in Talavera, where he had 
resided as a child ; in Salamanca, at whose uni- 
versity he had spent seven years, and in which 
city he had received the Augustinian habit ; in 
Valladolid, where he was superior of his brethren 
and had been named Preacher to Charles V. ; in 
Granada and Seville, where he had successively 
acted as Prior, there was discovered much evi- 
dence deserving of consideration, and closely bear- 
ing upon the subject in question. At Toledo and 
Alcala, some persons were still living, who had 
personally known Father Orozco ; while Madrid, 


294 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


the theatre of his heroic labors for the last thirty 
years of his life, retained a vivid remembrance 
of the holy religious, whom all revered as a 
favored servant of God, and on whom they be- 
stowed the appellation of the Saint of San Felipe. 

The inquiry continued for two years, at the end 
of which time, the Papal Nuncio himself made a 
careful review of the well authenticated testimony, 
before allowing it to be presented at Rome before 
the Congregation of Sacred Rites. 

On January 3, 1623, this august body passed a 
favorable judgment upon the evidence submitted, 
and so agreeably were all the members impressed 
with the merits of Father Orozco’s case, that it was 
unanimously declared to be the pleasure of the 
Holy See, that the Apostolic Process should be in- 
troduced without delay. In other words, Rome 
now recognized that the reputed sanctity of Father 
Orozco was so strongly substantiated before its 
Congregation, that the cause of his beatification 
was deserving of official inquiry before a higher 
tribunal. The Holy Father, Urban VIII., was pres- 
ent on this occasion, and placed his signature upon 
the decree authorizing a further proceeding of the 
case. 

But the process of inquiry, so auspiciously in- 
augurated, was destined to be tedious and pro- 


ALPIIONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


295 


traded. Between the years 1625 and 1634, Urban 
VIII. issued repeated decrees, tending to regulate 
more strictly the preliminaries to be observed in 
the canonization of saints. Among other regula- 
tions he decreed that the Congregation of Sacred 
Rites should make no examination into the virtues 
or merits that distinguished the life of any Chris- 
tian till the expiration of at least fifty years from 
the date of death ; moreover, he required that this, 
and similar regulations, shouldbe strictly applied to 
those whose course of beatification was already in- 
itiated. 

On the publication of these decrees, Father 
Orozco had been dead scarcely thirty-five years. 
The fathers of the Province of Spain accordingly 
rested the case of Venerable Alphonsus Orozco, and 
occupied themselves in securing the Church’s final 
seal of approval upon the merits of that Angel of 
Peace, St. John of Sahagun. 

The cause of Venerable Father Orozco thus re- 
mained without further action till October, 1672, 
when the Prefect of the Congregation of Sacred 
Rites directed letters to the Bishop of Arcadia, 
empowering him to continue the process of in- 
quiry, ^according to the laws defined by Urban 
VIII. On the 23d of February, 1674, after a 
careful review of the evidence already submitted 


296 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


to the Holy See, the final action of the commission 
was to subject the remains of Father Orozco to a 
new and searching examination. Accordingly in 
the presence of the committee together with phy- 
sicians and surgeons the coffin was again opened, 
and the remains of the venerable servant of God 
were still found incorrupt and lifelike, while a 
fragrance unknown to earth was emitted from the 
body thus exposed to view. The most incredu- 
lous freely confessed belief and manifested aston- 
ishment, for they were wholly convinced of the 
miracle on the evidence of their senses. 

In the meantime, many obstacles concurred in 
retarding the progress of the inquiry into the cause 
of Father Orozco. During the pontificate of In- 
nocent XI., in 1683, the Congregation of Sacred 
Rites suspended further action upon the evidence 
submitted before its tribunal, because it was as- 
certained that the faithful in Spain, in their zeal 
for the honor of the beloved Preacher of Philip 
II. had infringed upon the recent decree of Pope 
Urban — Be non Cultu — which forbade any mark 
of public veneration to be shown those, whose 
virtues and sanctity were under advisement by 
the Holy See. This stay of proceedings arose 
from the report of the “ Promotor of the Faith,” 
stating that pictures of Venerable Orozco, to 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A 297 

which were affixed the inscription: “Renowned 
for sanctity,” were being freely distributed among 
the people ; while the original copy was preserved 
in the College of the Incarnation, with the title 
of “The Saint” inscribed beneath. Circulars 
were immediately scattered throughout all Spain 
by the Augustinians, discountenancing the pic- 
ture, and urging its withdrawal from pious uses. 
In 1684: conclusive testimony was presented at 
Rome, showing that the so-called abuse and vio- 
lation of the pontificial decrees, no longer pre- 
vailed. 

Again, the numerous writings of our venerable 
servant of God were subjected to a close examin- 
ation, in order to judge the merits of the doctrine 
therein contained. The complete works of Father 
Orozco were offered in evidence of the writer’s 
sanctity, and the Congregation of Sacred Rites, 
acting upon the judgment of the Holy Office, de- 
clared, in 1696, that there was nothing in these 
writings which could be entered as an objection to 
the beatification of their saintly author. 

Finally, in the year 1732, at a general Congre- 
gation, over which the Sovereign Pontiff, Clement 
XII., presided, it was decreed that it was abund- 
antly evident, from manifold testimonies already 
reviewed, that the cardinal and theological virtues 


298 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


were practiced by Father Orozco in an heroic de- 
gree. 

Yet, despite this solemn action of the Holy See, 
despite the numerous miracles attesting the power 
of Father Orozco in Heaven, the cause of his 
beatification was long delayed. The case was 
necessarily suspended for a century and a quar- 
ter, on account of the political disturbances which 
during this period distracted Spain and Italy alike. 
These revolutions sorely taxed the resources of 
the Augustinian religious of both countries. It 
was the vicissitudes of the times finally, that pre- 
vented his Holiness, Pius IX., from realizing his 
expressed purpose of celebrating the beatification 
of Alphonsus, for the Cardinals, in general con- 
sistory of January 1, 1875, unanimously resolved 
that the honors of the Altar should be accorded 
him. On the feast of the Presentation of our 
Blessed Lady, the same holy Pontiff, after humbly 
beseeching new graces from the Father of Lights, 
solemnly decreed that it was safe to proceed with 
the beatification of Venerable Alphonsus Orozco, 
O. S. A. Moreover, he ordained that apostolic 
letters be issued in the form of a brief, designat- 
ing a day to celebrate the event in the Basilica of 
St. Peter. But, (despoiled of his temporal pos- 
sessions,) the sad incidents accompanying the final 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO, O. S. A. 


299 


days of Pius IX., now despoiled, etc., were ill 
suited to carry out the solemn ceremony, and he 
passed to the Lord, in 1878, without realizing his 
cherished and holy desires. 

But four years later, the case was pushed to a 
successful issue, under the direction of the present 
Most Rev. Father General of the Augustinian Or- 
der, Sebastian Martinelli, who then, as Procurator 
of Causes , vigorously and earnestly championed 
the virtues and merits of Venerable Alphonsus. 
On January 15, 1882, the Feast of the Holy Name 
of Jesus, amidst pomp and splendor befitting the 
occasion, Leo XIII., as Sovereign Pontiff, placed 
the Church’s seal of approval upon the life and 
labors of Alphonsus Orozco, who was an orna- 
ment to Spain in the days of her true greatness. 

The whole Church hailed him as blessed, but 
the Augustinian religious in every land did spe- 
cially greet their triumphant brother, as the sweet 
comforter of their sorrows ; an advocate and sup- 
port in the conflict with evil, that strives to de- 
spoil all that is august and holy; a light and 
guide in the dark and unknown paths through 
which religion is passing; a refuge and solace 
henceforth in all their difficulties, adversities and 
persecutions. 

God, who is wonderful in his saints, by conse- 


300 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


quence, is not indifferent to the cause of their 
canonization. His Providence had doubtless 
wisely deferred till our day the well deserved hon- 
ors, that belonged to Father Orozco. The Church 
militant has need to-day, as never before, of pow- 
erful advocates in Heaven ; and, amidst the prog- 
ress of ages and the revolt of nations, men may 
look back upon Spain’s golden era, and fix their 
gaze in admiration upon the Oracle of the Court 
of Philip II., and the inspired writer of the glories 
of the Mother of God. 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


301 


CHAPTER XXXIII. 

DECREE ISSUED BY HIS HOLINESS LEO XIII., TO 
COMMEMORATE THE BEATIFICATION OF BLESSED 
ALPHONSUS OROZCO, O. S. A. 

The words of the Apostle Paul (in his epistle 
to the Galatians, 6th chapter, 14th verse) wherein 
he declares the world to be crucified to him, and 
himself to the world, may be justly applied to all 
those holy men, who loving God alone have so 
despised the goods, honors and pleasures of this 
life, that they seem to live, even on this earth, as 
celestial a life as is given man to live. Where- 
fore having most faithfully followed Christ’s pre- 
cepts and imitated his example, they have pro- 
cured for themselves eternal happiness, and by the 
sanctity of their words and deeds have also led 
many to embrace the Catholic Faith. Among 
these without doubt must be reckoned the Vener- 
able Servant of God, Alphonsus, son of Ferdinand 
Orozco, and Mary de Mena, who were no less re- 
markable for piety and religious devotion than for 
nobility of race. Alphonsus was born at Oropesa, 
Spain, in the province of Castile, on the seven- 


302 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


teenth of October, 1500. The circumstances 
which are accustomed to be related concerning 
the youthful years of holy men, as foreshadowing 
their future sanctity, we find related also of the 
Venerable Alphonsus Orozco. Among these in- 
cidents this fact is especially worthy of notice; 
that one day while present in Church, although 
but six years of age, being moved by an inspira- 
tion from God, he made a vow in which he prom- 
ised to devote himself henceforth to the worship 
of God and the service of His Church. 

Having been brought by his parents to Talavera, 
he there received his first instructions in letters ; 
and there also by constant attendance at the ser- 
vices in the Church, he daily accustomed his mind 
to that manner of life he was afterwards to adopt. 
Later on, removing to Toledo, at that time the most 
flourishing city of Spain, he pursued with the great- 
est zeal his studies in literature, and at the same 
time attended to his religious duties with remarka- 
ble fervor. Being adjudged fit for the study of 
philosophy and theology, he was sent to the univer- 
sity of Salamanca then rightly styled, the Athens 
of Spain. The great progress made by this excel- 
lent youth in such a home of learning can easily 
be understood from the fact that, equipped as he 
abundantly was with endowments of nature and 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


303 


grace, he held nothing of greater value than the 
training of his mind and soul in such a manner 
as was best suited to utilize the divine gifts he had 
received and fit him as a useful laborer in the vine- 
yard of the Lord. 

Wherefore, while he devoted himself with zeal to 
his studies, he left nothing undone by which he 
might, in that trying time of youth, preserve and 
even increase those Christian virtues which he 
had learnt to cherish while under the tutelage of 
his noble mother. Accordingly, fleeing those 
pleasures and delights of the city, which were wont 
to allure the greater number of youths coming here 
from all points of Spain, for the sake of continu- 
ing their studies, he seemed to know no other place 
in the city than the school, the convent and the 
church of the Augustinian Fathers whose Superior 
at the time, was that most illustrious light of the 
Church, St. Thomas of Villanova. During this 
period of his life the only companion of Alphonsus 
was his elder brother Francis, who was studying 
with him. When Francis had been received into 
the Augustinian Order, Alphonsus was also eager to 
embrace the same holy manner of living. But know- 
ing that a step of such importance should not be 
undertaken rashly, nor before he was made certain 
of the Divine Will, he redoubled his prayers and 


304 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


fasts, and after having taken counsel with prudent 
men, at length he felt that God willed he should 
follow his brother, and in due time he was re- 
ceived into the Augustinian Order, on the Vigil 
of Pentecost, 1522. 

In a short time he had given such evidence of 
tried virtue, that he was proposed as a model to 
all the youths in the Novitiate, many of whom 
were themselves renowned in after days, for their 
holiness and learning. For he bravely overcame 
all those difficulties which are wont to hinder the 
divine vocation in a youth of a rich and noble 
family, to whom the honors and pleasures of this 
world hold out an attraction. With great forti- 
tude of soul, spurning all perishable glory, he de- 
voted himself entirely to that new mode of life, 
to which God’s grace had impelled him. And of 
this fortitude, indeed, he gave a noble example in 
the novitiate, when his brother Francis, to whom 
he was so devotedly attached, was seized with a 
severe illness and died. For while he was pres- 
ent unceasingly at the bedside of his sick brother, 
and gave all those marks of attention, which 
grief and Christian charity and fraternal affection 
could suggest, yet at perceiving that nothing 
could be done by which death might be warded 
off from his brother, Alphonsus cheerfully sub- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0 . 8. A. 305 

mitted to the Divine Will, and repressed all the 
bitter grief of his soul with a firmness far beyond 
his years, and so won for himself the admiration 
of all his brethren. With this and many other 
examples of Christian virtue, he completed his 
novitiate with the greatest praise, and with joy to 
himself and his religious associates, he took the 
solemn vows of religion. 

Then indeed the piety of this excellent youth 
increased as did his zeal for knowledge ; trusting 
to his own earnest endeavors and relying on 
God’s help, he hoped to be able to devote himself 
with all his strength to the salvation of souls, and 
the propagation of the Catholic Faith. And, 
so after he had passed through his course of 
studies in literature and philosophy, he devoted 
himself to the study of theology, in which, by his 
acute genius and remarkable application he at- 
tained an enviable distinction for his acquirements 
in sacred lore. When at length he was raised to 
the sublime dignity of the Priesthood, it is almost 
incredible with what feelings of ardent love he 
celebrated the Holy Sacrifice the first time, and 
with what ardent charity he practiced this sacred 
duty during the whole course of his life, and what 
progress he made in virtue as the years passed by. 

Shortly after ordination he was entrusted with 
20 


306 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


the office of preacher, and this task he performed 
in such an able manner that no other preacher of 
the Gospel at that time made greater gain of 
souls. For, since he united in himself the greatest 
piety and love of God, with a remarkable learn- 
ing and eloquence, he attracted even those most 
indifferent to religion, and bound them to himself 
by ties of the greatest esteem. 

Charles V., Emperor, was moved by the fame 
of his virtue, then so widespread and so fruitful in 
its harvest of souls, and selected the venerable 
Alphonsus as Preacher at the Court and as a 
counsellor to himself. In fulfilling the duties 
of this office, which he had accepted in compli- 
ance with his vow of obedience, Alphonsus 
carried himself with that demeanor befitting a 
holy man, who has nothing else at heart but truth 
and justice, and who thinks that the one great 
duty of his office is to win all men, even the most 
powerful rulers, to Christ. Nor did the dignity of 
the Ro} r al Court, nor the honors paid him by the 
Emperor and his courtiers, nor their applause nor 
any of those things which are accustomed to turn 
the minds of mortals, move him from his wonted 
practice of virtue. He always kept before his 
mind, in prosperity and in adversity, the lowliness 
of the Cross of Christ which he had willingly and 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 


307 


gladly embraced. Withal, during these labors of 
his sacred ministry and other grave duties, this 
holy man with wonderful zeal found sufficient 
time for writing, and he published very many 
books replete with Christian wisdom, by which 
the piety of the faithful was encouraged, and their 
Catholic Faith and devotion to this Holy See were 
strengthened, and the errors of heretics, who had 
begun at that time to disseminate their doctrines 
even in Spain, were confuted. Nor can we ne- 
gleet to mention his books of Confessions in which 
we can most accurately tell what his inner life 
must have been, and how many great favors he 
had received from Heaven. 

This venerable servant of God also ably con- 
tributed to preserve the Catholic Faith ; for hav- 
ing been compelled during thirty years, as he him- 
self testifies, to resist the most violent tempta- 
tions, which sprang up in his mind against this 
virtue, he at length won the victory and procured 
peace and tranquility for his own soul. Hence 
there was no one better fitted than he for 
strengthening that Faith in others, no one more 
anxious and zealous in propagating that Faith 
far and wide. With this purpose he twice sailed 
for the shores of Mexico, to win over the barbar- 
ous inhabitants to the worship of the true God, 


308 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


and also, if Divine Providence willed it, to pro- 
cure for himself the crown of martyrdom. But 
on his journey he was seized with a severe illness 
and was obliged in consequence to return to 
Spain. He was then sent to Madrid, the prin- 
cipal city of Spain, where he found many oppor- 
tunities of practicing his virtues, not only in com- 
batting error and vice, but also in patiently suf- 
fering injuries. For, he performed the duties of 
his holy ministry prudently indeed, yet energetic- 
ally, and placing his hope not in men but in God, 
he endured whatever happened with such equa- 
nimity, that even in the greatest dangers he pre- 
served his tranquility of mind, and became a 
source of encouragement to many, who would 
otherwise have fallen into despair. And on this 
account it happened that although at times desti- 
tute of human aid, he would nevertheless com- 
mence and even finish works which it would seem 
rash even in those abounding in riches and wealth 
to undertake. 

Equal indeed to this great faith and hope was 
his love for God and his fellow-men, and this love 
was so ardent in him that his life, just like the 
lives of all holy men, seemed to be an unceasing 
practice of this most ennobling virtue of Christ. 
And certainly from his words which are read 


ALPnONSUS OROZCO , 0. 8. A. 309 

even to-day, we can readily perceive with what 
great affection the venerable Alphonsus loved 
God, with what devotion he was accustomed to 
meditate constantly on the words and deeds of 
Our Saviour, and with what zealous care he en- 
deavored to imitate Him in all his instructions 
and writings. He was also most devoted to the 
blessed Mother of God, and wrote many renowned 
works on her graces, and never ceased to sing her 
praises, and strive to foster devotion to her among 
the faithful followers of her Divine Son. 

But since love for one’s fellow men is great in 
proportion to the love the heart bears God, it is 
evident that the love of Alphonsus for the faith- 
ful in Christ w T as bounded by no limits. Wholly 
bent on doing good to others, he spared no labor, 
and he seemed to be almost forgetful of himself 
so that he might succor others in their wants, 
whether of body or of soul ; and it was a source 
of the greatest joy to him to be able to aid any 
wretched and afflicted being. By this it also hap- 
pened, that if any good fortune fell to another, he 
would rejoice as much as if it had fallen to him- 
self, so free was he from emotions of jealousy. 
Nor did he seek to regulate the habits of others 
according to the severe rule of life which he ob- 
served in relation to himself; since he was accus- 


310 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


tomed to say that one’s mind ought to' be directed 
to the correction of self, and that men of a dispo- 
sition severe to themselves ought to be indulgent 
to others. Knowing how to conquer evil by good, 
to the many injuries and insults heaped upon him, 
this faithful follower of Christ responded with 
acts of love and kindness. And so in no locality 
did he remain for any length of time without 
leaving there some example of the most perfect 
charity ; for those whom he could not aid in deed, 
he frequently aided in a more wonderful manner, 
by his prayers, by his fasts and the voluntary 
chastisements of his own body, to which he had 
accustomed himself from his early youth, in order 
that he might procure for himself and others 
mercy from God. 

He was most observant of the vows which he 
had made in his religious profession, and of the 
rules of his Order. In governing the communi- 
ties of his brethren over which he had been 
placed, his remarkable prudence was revealed, 
and he was so wise in counsel, that those who had 
recourse to him when they were in doubt never 
regretted having followed his admonition. Be- 
sides the Emperor Charles V., King Philip II., 
his son, and many other princes consulted him in 
grave matters of state, and from experience they 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 311 

learned that it was best to follow out whatever 
line of conduct he proposed. Nor was he the less 
famous for his love of justice, from which he never 
swerved by word or deed. 

He was likewise a man of remarkable moder- 
ation, and although he was held in high esteem 
by all, and had performed honorable functions, 
and had enjoyed the favor of rulers, yet he lived 
in a manner befitting his vow of poverty, and 
denied himself all comforts that he might procure 
the comfort of others. By keeping continually 
in his mind the example of Our Lord, Jesus 
Christ, who had suffered every hardship for us, he 
not only gained for himself strength to endure 
patiently all the miseries of this life, but his zeal 
also led him to seek opportunities to exercise vir- 
tues of self-denial. Wherefore though advanced 
in years and afflicted with much bodily infirmity, 
he daily offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, 
and delivered instructions to the people on their 
religious duties ; nor was he ever hindered by in- 
clemency of weather from visiting the hovels of 
the poor — a source of great delight to him — in 
order to bring comfort to them in their wretched- 
ness. 

Dear to God and man on account of his great 
virtues and meritorious deeds — to enumerate 


312 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


which would be a great task — Alphonsus reached 
his ninety-first year, and then borne down by 
many infirmities, his already weak body was af- 
flicted the more ; and on the 19tli of September 
1591, kissing and embracing the cross of Jesus 
Christ, he calmly resigned his soul to God. 

But after the Venerable Servant of God had 
departed this life, the fame of his sanctity in- 
creased. Wherefore records were complied accord- 
ing to custom at Salamanca, Toledo, and Madrid, 
concerning his life and Virtues; so that after- 
wards investigation might be made by the Holy 
See as to the heroic grade of these virtues. 
When all the details which are necessary in an 
investigation of this kind were observed, the 
Cardinals who form the Congregation of Sacred 
Bites, discussed the virtues for which the Vener- 
able Alphonsus was remarkable ; and on the 14th 
of August, 1732, Our Predecessor of happy mem- 
ory Clement XII. with the assent of the same 
Congregation, declared that these virtues were he- 
roic. The question was then raised of the miracles 
which were said to have been worked through the 
intercession of the same venerable Servant of God ; 
and after a thorough investigation two of them 
were adjudged true and duly established ; and of 
their truth a Decree was issued by Our Prede- 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 313 

cessor of happy memory, Pius IX., on the 15th of 
November, 1874. It remained for the Cardinals 
of the above-mentioned Congregation to be asked 
whether they thought that proceedings could be 
safely undertaken towards decreeing the honors 
of the “ Blessed ,” to the Venerable Alphonsus 
Orozco ; and in assembly before our same Prede- 
cessor, Pius IX., on the first of June, 1875, they 
unanimously replied that such proceedings could 
safely be undertaken. Yet in an affair of such 
great importance, Our Predecessor deferred giving 
his sanction until he could gain help and aid by 
means of prayer from the Father of Light. At 
length on the last Sunday before Pentecost of the 
same year, it was decreed that proceedings might 
be safely taken towards the solemn beatification 
of the venerable Alphonsus Orozco. We there- 
fore, in accordance with the decree of Our Prede- 
cessor of happy memory, moved by the prayers of 
the entire Order of Hermits of St. Augustine, by 
Our Apostolic Authority, by force of these let- 
ters, grant that the venerable servant of God, Al- 
phonsus Orozco, of the Order of Friar Hermits 
of St. Augustine, be called for the future by the 
name of “ Blessed,” and that his body, or relics — 
not however to be borne in more solemn supplica- 
tions — may be exposed to the public veneration of 


314 


LIFE OF BLESSED 


the Faithful, and his pictures crowned with rays. 
Moreover by the same authority We grant permis- 
sion to say yearly in his honor, an Office, and Mass 
taken from the Common of Confessors with proper 
prayers approved by Us according to the Rubrics 
of the Roman Missal and Breviary. Yet this 
privilege We grant only to the City and Diocese of 
Avila, to all the Churches and Religious Houses 
of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine ; the 
Office to all the Faithful who are bound to recite 
the Canonical Hours; the Mass, to all Priests, 
secular as well as regular, who are present at the 
churches where the Feast is celebrated. Finally 
We grant that in the churches above mentioned the 
solemnities of the Beatification of the venerable 
Alphonsus Orozco may be celebrated with an Of- 
fice and Mass of “ Duplex Major ” rite, which in- 
deed We command to be done on a day appointed 
by the Ordinary within one year after the same 
solemnities shall have been celebrated on account 
of the vicissitudes of the time, in the Upper Hall 
of the Portico of the Vatican Basilica, notwith- 
standing Apostolic Constitutions and Ordinances, 
and decrees issued “de non cultu,” and all others 
to the contrary. We wish moreover that to these 
Letters after they have been printed, (provided 
they are signed by the Secretary of the above 


ALPHONSUS OROZCO , 0. S. A. 315 

mentioned Congregation, and stamped with the 
seal of the Prefect,) the same credence be given 
as would be accorded to the manifestation of Our 
Will, these Letters having been shown. 

Given at St. Peter’s, Rome, under the seal of the 
Fisherman, Oct. 1, 1881, in the fourth year of our 
Pontificate. 


Th. Card. Mertel. 


APPENDIX A. 

Among the various statements, which received 
the careful consideration of the Holy See during 
the process of the beatification of Father Orozco, 
was a letter in the handwriting of his confessor. 
The following seven incidents, extracted from this 
important document, Father Rojas testified, on 
his oath, were told him by Blessed Alphonsus, 
who revealed them to him, as his spiritual direc- 
tor. 

1. Before he was born, while his mother was 
pondering in mind what name to call him, the 
Blessed Virgin appeared to her and said, that his 
name must be Alphonsus, because he was destined 
to be her chaplain. 

2. While residing at Salamanca with his elder 
brother Francis, who had decided to enter the 
Convent of the Augustinians, St. Augustine ap- 
peared to him and admonished him to follow the 
example of his brother. 

3. This same holy Father Alphonsus assured 
me, that for more than thirty years, he had been 
greatly tormented with scruples, and that he had 

( 316 ) 


APPENDIX A. 


317 


been freed from them through the direct interposi- 
tion of the Mother of God, who appeared to him, 
and said : “ Brother Alplionsus, your enemies are 
fleeing discomfited.” At the same time he heard 
a loud noise, like the barking of dogs in the dis- 
tance. During this apparition the Blessed Lady 
commanded him to engage in writing and publish- 
ing books. From that time, till a few days be- 
fore his death, he was constant in preparing works 
of a pious and devotional nature, which are a 
faithful reflex of the religious sentiments with 
which his soul was imbued. 

4. He assured me, that from the instant that 
he heard those dogs howl, the torment of scruples 
entirely ceased, and it seemed to him, that he had 
thus escaped from a very hell, and found rest in a 
paradise of tranquil delight. 

5. Four times* did Alphonsus venture a sea 
voyage to New Spain, whither his Order had sent 
him in the capacity of Visitator of the monasteries 
exisiting in those foreign parts, and he says that 
the Lord delivered him, and those who accom- 
panied him, on one occasion from shipwreck, 

* The faithful of the city of Havana in the Island of Cuba, 
maintain that Blessed Alphonsus once dwelt in their midst. 
The old convent of St. Augustine is still remarked as his home 
while dwelling on these western shores. His latest biograph- 
ers, however, incline to the opinion that he never reached this 
hemisphere. 


318 


APPENDIX A. 


through the efficacy of the cross, which he had 
held clasped to his bosom, as the one beloved 
companion of his travels. He also earnestly re- 
quested, that the same cross be placed in his 
hands at the hour of death. 

6. One night while assisting at choir in the 
Convent of St. Philip, being occupied in contem- 
plating the different stages of Our Lord’s Passion, 
the Saviour appeared to him all bruised, to con- 
sole him with the evidences of his bitter passion. 
The apparition transfixed the gaze of Father 
Orozco, and kindled in his heart a most vehement 
love. 

7. His soul was clothed with the robe of un- 
sullied purity, and during the ten months which I 
was his confessor, he never confessed a mortal sin, 
and thus, have I understood, he passed his whole 
life. 


APPENDIX B. 


MIRACLES APPROVED BY THE HOLY SEE IN THE 
CAUSE OF BEATIFICATION OF BLESSED AL- 
PHONSUS. 

The following two miracles, attributed to the 
power of Blessed Alphonsus,were reviewed in 1872 
by the Congregation of Cardinals and approved by 
the Congregations of Sacred Rites, and eventually 
by His Holiness Pius IX. on the 15th of Novem- 
ber, 1874, declared that the cases of Brother Paul 
de Arteaga and Maria Louisa Luci were beyond 
doubt clearly established to be miraculous. 

The remarkable incidents were related in the 
manner subjoined. Paul de Arteaga was a native 
of Biscay. At the age of sixteen he received the 
habit in the Augustinian Convent of St. Philip 
in Madrid. When a child he had suffered severely 
from rheumatic pains in the knee-joints, and was 
at times greatly troubled with a distressing cough. 
The long journey of the young man from his home 
in the north of Spain to the capital, with its attend- 
ing weariness, occasioned a return of his former 
infirmities, which developed in all their malignity 

( 319 ) 


320 


APPENDIX B. 


two days after his entrance into the novitiate. His 
knees became so badly swollen that he was unable 
to bend the joints, and with all the applications of 
the infirmarian the pain grew more intense, and 
extended even to his feet. To add to this suffer- 
ing a violent cough accompanied with several in- 
ternal complications, greatly harassed young Paul 
and endangered his life. The physician was at 
once summoned, but despite all his efforts the res- 
piration of the novice became more and more la- 
bored, and violent convulsions were fast depleting 
his strength. For two weeks Paul remained in 
this critical condition without any apparent relief, 
while his energies were being steadily undermined 
by the virulence of the disease. At this juncture 
the last Sacraments were administered to the suf- 
ferer and few entertained hopes of seeing the 
young man’s life prolonged beyond the following 
day. 

Fully realizing the gravity of his situation, Paul 
unable to speak, motioned to the attending breth- 
ren his desire to die a religious, and with earn- 
est entreaty he pleaded to be allowed to pronounce 
his vows of religion. Deeming his case entirely 
hopeless this favor was accorded him, after 
which he fell into a half-conscious slumber, from 
which he was not expected to awake in this life. 


APPENDIX B. 


321 


The Father Prior was deeply grieved and sought 
his own room in retirement to deplore the loss of 
one so young and so recently affiliated to the con- 
vent. Particularly did he lament the sad duty 
which must so soon devolve upon him of breaking 
the mournful news to his parents, who no doubt 
were in anxious expectation of hearing the young 
man himself relate the incidents of his investiture 
with the religious habit. In his sad communings 
the Prior recalled to mind the Venerable Orozco, 
whose home had been for so many years in this 
same convent, and numerous relics of whose sanc- 
tity were still treasured by his brethren. 

It was on the night of October 15, 1731, in 
which the death of Paul was bewailed by the 
whole community, being also the time in which 
the Roman Commission was occupied in inquiring 
into the heroic virtues of Father Orozco. Doubt- 
less moved by inspiration the Father Prior arose 
suddenly from his perplexing thoughts and took 
from the archives a shoe formerly worn by Al- 
phonsus and which was long treasured by the com- 
munity as a precious relic. Entering the cell of 
Paul he confidently exclaimed : “ Recommend 

yourself to your fellow countryman, the Venerable 
Orozco, for I am bringing you a shoe once worn 
by him, with which I will touch you, at the same- 
21 


322 


APPENDIX B. 


time praying that he may deign to save your life.” 
At these words the unconscious sufferer recovered 
somewhat his senses, and so remarkable was the 
vigor he displayed, that Brother Antonio the in- 
firmarian took confidence and admonished the 
invalid that he should promise, if health be re- 
stored, to visit the tomb of Father Orozco in the 
Church of the Incarnation and also substitute for 
the family name of Arteaga that of Orozco. To 
all this poor Paul, apparently in the very last 
stages of his illness, could only signify his ready 
assent without being able to express even a syl- 
lable. Immediately the Prior applied the relic; 
beginning at the head he passed it slowly down to 
the feet of the agonizing Paul, the effect of which 
the sufferer himself afterwards related in the fol- 
lowing words: “ I felt that all my infirmities passed 
from my head downward to my feet producing a sen- 
sation similar to a sudden plunge into water and 
a return from its depths with no symptoms of my 
former infirmities . In an instant I found myself 
entirely well and sound . Even the ulcers of the throat 
which had heretofore prevented my speech disap- 
peared and suddenly my respiration became free and 
I sought at once to rise from my bed ” Clearly did 
it appear to all present that Venerable Orozco had 
interposed in behalf of Paul. The whole com- 


APPENDIX B. 


323 


munity of St. Philip united in sentiments of joy 
and gratitude ; for they realized that a favor of 
double importance had been granted through the 
intercession of Father Orozco. Not only had the 
young man been spared, but the miracle of his 
deliverance so potent and well attested was ad- 
mirably suited for presentation before the Roman 
tribunal then occupied in studying the merits of 
Venerable Orozco. A recovery so startling in its 
nature was submitted to an official inquiry at 
which the facts as stated above were clearly estab- 
lished. Among the eye witnesses, whose sworn 
testimony corroborated the story, were three phy- 
sicians and a surgeon who had been summoned in 
consultation upon the case of Paul during his in- 
firmities. Freely did they confess that the re- 
covery of the young man was independent of 
medical treatment and wholly at variance with the 
science of their profession, while Paul himself 
pursuing his vocation to the priesthood in the en- 
joyment of health was proof in person of the per- 
manent results of this miracle. 

Not less supernatural was the restoration to 
health of Sister Maria Luisa Luci consequent on 
the intercession of our Blessed servant of God. 
Maria was an Augustinian nun residing in a con- 
vent in the town of Terni, in the province of 


324 


APPENDIX B. 


Umbria, Italy. At the age of thirty-five years 
early in the month of February she was stricken 
with fever and acute congestion of the lungs. 
Under the care of the physician the symptoms 
of fever gradually disappeared, but the organs of 
respiration became more and more infected. Con- 
sumption had set its seal on the young religious, 
and as months passed she was slowly but steadily 
yielding to its ravages. Physicians pronounced 
her case entirely hopeless and were devising such 
remedies as tended to alleviate her sufferings. By 
the following autumn she was prostrated and un- 
able to leave her bed. On the 19th of October 
she became speechless and it was only with the 
greatest difficulty that any sign of life could be 
detected. For two or three days Sister Maria 
remained in this condition without any apparent 
change while the attending religious at her bed- 
side were calmly awaiting her departure from this 
life. During the sad vigil a happy thought oc- 
curred to one of the sisters. She at once repaired 
to the Prioress to say that by a strange impulse she 
was moved to implore the help of Father Orozco 
for the welfare of Sister Maria. The two at once 
returned to the sick chamber to advise the sufferer 
of the physician they were about to implore from 


APPENDIX B. 


325 


Heaven for her relief. Sister Maria on listening 
to the admonition remained undisturbed, but from 
her soul she was inspired with a strong hope of re- 
covery through the interposition of Father 
Orozco, although she remained for two whole days 
afterwards without the slightest relief. Towards 
the evening of the 22nd of October she was per- 
vaded by a strange and undefinable happiness, that 
buoyed her up in the midst of sufferings. With 
sentiments of profound confidence she besought 
the Prioress to conclude their petitions by ap- 
plying the picture of Venerable Orozco to the af- 
flicted portion of her body in which the pain 
was most intense. With the sisters kneeling by 
the bedside the Prioress approached and with the 
words : “ Faith, daughter, faith,” she applied the 

little portrait. Marvellous beyond comprehen- 
sion, Sister Maria was wholly restored. Every 
symptom vanished like magic and a mysterious 
inner voice urged her to rise from the bed. Be- 
lieving herself unworthy of so great a favor Maria 
doubted the reality for the moment and in con- 
firmation of her faith began to recite the Credo . 
Immediately she rose and repaired to the choir to 
return thanks to God. Three years later at the 
conclusion of the inquiry at Rome numerous wit- 


326 


APPENDIX B. 


nesses affirmed that no symptom of Sister 
Maria’s malady returned and for years she re- 
mained a devout member of her sisterhood rev- 
ering the name of her deliverer, Venerable Father 
Orozco. O. S. A. 


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